Anything, Anytime, Anywhere For You
by Golden-Sama
Summary: [Ch 50] The Grand Finale after One Year and Two Months. [RobStar] [BBRae] [CyBee] [KidJinx]
1. Starts With A Visit From Shady

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter One**

**"**Starts With A Visit From Shady"

**A/N**: Okay. New Chapter One Author's Notes. A few things you'll need to know if you plan to read this story.

For a while the word "Trials" will appear. It is supposed to be "Trials", but my stupid spellchecker kept changing it to "Trials." I have tried to fix this, but for some reason it hasn't worked. I will re-upload all these chapters with a corrected version when I get enough free time to do it, but until then be aware of this mistake. Also, there may be a small bit of confusion with certain early chapters, but it is only to build suspense. All confusion WILL be cleared up if you keep reading, I promise. It was written that way on purpose.

With that said, thank you and enjoy AFY!

**Disclaimer and Legal Junk**: All Teen Titans/Batman/Superman characters and references are property of DC Comics, Cartoon Network and all other respected, copyrighted owners. I am making no money from this fanfiction and I do not claim ownership over anything aside from original characters and the plot itself. Please don't sue me, I have no money and I really can't afford a lawyer or court costs. The only profit I make from this is experience as a writer, and reviews. I also ask that if you'd like to put this story on a website/message board/fansite/shrine/anywhere else online, that you credit "Brandon Rice, aka GoldenSama" as the author and do not try to pass it off as your own. Thank you.

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They were all thinking the same thing.

It was four-forty seven in the morning when it began, and the Titan's were all in bed resting from one of the busiest days of their lives. It seemed like every wacko, two-bit crook, super villain and downright psychopath in Jump City had been breaking some kind of law previous day. And the Titan's had somehow stopped them all and had managed to do so without getting on each other's nerves; an accomplishment worth much praise. And now they'd all been woken up by their front door. Loud banging and the occasional ringing of the buzzer filled the T-Shaped Tower and ensured that sleep be known only as a dream.

_By the time I unhook my battery and get to the door someone else will probably already be up. No need for two of us to leave bed, right?. _Cyborg was reasoning this point with himself, as everyone does. It's not uncommon for anyone, even the very uncommon Teen Titans, to rationalize their decisions when they have to do something they simply don't want to do. And all of the Titan's were doing it.

_Eh, I'll probably screw something up. And Raven'll get mad or something. Yeah, and nobody likes that. So I'll just stay in bed._ Beast Boy never really had a hard time coming up with an excuse not to do something; since in all honesty he probably would have screwed something up.

_I don't know if I can get down_. Starfire on the other hand was more worried about herself than the door. She had tied her feet to the ceiling and decided to sleep upside down tonight. The reason for this is long and unimportant; and she was too sleep-deprived to remember it anyway.

Robin however took a slightly different approach as he lay in bed listening to the frantic pounding and buzzing. He knew he'd be the one to get up and get the door, and he knew he'd be doing it now. Instinct and training can't be ignored; not even at four in the morning. With a sigh Robin sat up in bed and reached for his mask.

As for Raven; she didn't do doors. It was a simple, easy point and everyone living in Titan's Tower knew it. So Raven was still in bed, under her blanket with her eyes closed. Still, her concentration and rest was being threatened with every knock and every buzz; and even she was tempted to see who'd be stupid enough to pound on the front door at five in the morning.

Tired, sore and already irritated at whoever was making the noise; Robin stepped out of his room fully-dressed and made his way down the darkened hall. Perhaps it was his training, or the simple fact he knew every inch of the hallway; but Robin found no need to turn on lights. Swiftly he was there, the front door, and he slid it open. There was no peephole; and no need for one. If whatever was on the other side of the door was hostile and strong enough to take out Robin; then it wouldn't have bothered knocking.

Unfortunately for Robin – and countless others – it was Shady at the other side of the door. And Shady was the one thing uncontrollable and unpredictable enough to make the evening go exactly how it wound up going.

"How you doing kid, Robin right? Yeah I recognized the mask, nice to meet you, nice to meet you. Name's Shady; don't let it fool you kid, I'm the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet." Robin wasn't sure about being the "nicest guy" he'd ever want to meet; but he certainly was the strangest.

Shady's speech was confusing; but his appearance was worse. He seemed humanoid; except for the lack of legs. All together from the tip of his fedora-hat to the bottom of his faded-tan trenchcoat he was less than five feet tall at best. And of course the hat and coat weren't really part of him. His skin – or what Robin assumed was skin – was a nameless color darker than black but closer to blue. His face was the topper though. His eyes were pure white half-slits, almost like the boy wonder's mask. He had no nose, and his mouth was a perfect half-moon flawlessly white smile; his teeth seemed to all connect without any space between them. A tongue that looked more like a shell-less snail was swishing around as he spoke; it was the same color as his skin.

Without skipping a beat, Shady began to speak again. "Well this won't do at all, we've got to get the whole group out here for the explanations to begin if you're gonna get packed in time; and I wouldn't say no to a cup of Joe, if you catch my drift."

Once he'd spoken again Shady began to float towards the rest of the room; though it was apparent by his direction he was heading for the hallway and eventually the bedrooms. This brought Robin back to reality in a heartbeat and he wasted no time in blocking the bizarre alien's path.

"Who are you?" Robin asked in a tone that clearly stated the time for none-sense was over. And apparently Shady got the message, because he looked Robin in the eyes and spoke again; and there was no confusion this time.

"Shadarias, Chief Messenger to the King and Queen of the Planet Tamaran. I come with a message for Princess Koriand'r."

And Robin knew in his heart that any chance for sleep was gone, and it would stay gone for a long, long time. Robin had closed his eyes only for a fraction of a second as he processed this information; and it had taken only that long for things to become loud again.

This time the noise was caused by Starfire's battle cry and by the emerald-bolts of light that were now smashing into "Shady" and sending him flying directly into the nearest wall.

Starfire had gotten down from her ceiling prison and after landing on the bed she'd decided to go see what was at the door. And when her eyes had landed on Shady she had found the perfect way to wake up the entire tower – Combat.

And it worked. Shady was now recovering from the blast to find himself surrounded by five very-awake and very-battle ready teenage superheroes. Cyborg's arm canon was aimed at him, while a large green tiger was arched on his legs and ready to pounce directly at his side. Robin's bo-staff was itching in his hand, and he was in full combat-stance. Raven floated beside him, her eyes and hands glowing black. Starfire was floating behind Robin, half-hiding from Shady and half-ready to send another batch of her starbolts at him.

"Okay, I deserved that Koriand'r, I'll admit it; I deserved that one." Shady said, all previously lost haste now back in his voice. "But seriously, Starfire, I'm here with good news!"

Apparently, Starfire wasn't convinced, because Shady had just received a second dose of pain via-starbolt. The other Titans hadn't taken their eyes off Shady, but they'd all relaxed slightly. He wasn't as dangerous as Starfire's scream had suggested.

"I'm here on behalf of your parents; about the Trials!" Shady screamed as he rose in the air again, fight the only emotion left on his face. There was a pause in the room when everyone held their breath awaiting Star's response. Then another squeal from the Tamarania girl; to say it was a happy squeal would be an understatement.

After that Starfire was latched onto the bizarre little alien, squeezing him harder than anything should be squeezed and dancing in mid-air. Shady was muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "At least this is better than when I have to bring bad news." And the Titans all relaxed their battle poses fully. The confusion was still overbearing, but at least there was no immediate danger – except perhaps to Shady who was clearly having difficulty breathing.

"Starfire, maybe you should let him explain now." Robin said at length. Starfire slowly lowered herself to the ground and released Shady, who fell to the floor and gave Robin a "thank you" look. Starfire was now standing in front of all of them, shaking with excitement.

"Koriand'r, I know you're excited about all of this." Shady said, slowly and cautiously floating his way to her side. "But maybe I should explain things. It is my job, after all."

Starfire, reluctantly, floated across the room and took a spot next to Robin; who like the other Titans was left with no other option than simply waiting. Shady wasted no haste in complying with their silent demand.

"Starfire, your parents, the King and Queen of Tamaran, have recently returned to Tamaran after their rather lengthy and somewhat mysterious disappearance. Funny thing, they were actually with me cleaning up some problems that arose on other planets because of, well, me."

Starfire's mouth opened quickly, but not quite quickly enough. The Tamarania Princess was incased in a large black ball of light and bounced harmlessly to the ground. "She can hear us, and we'll get through this faster." Raven announced right on cue.

"Now the King and Queen missed quite a few things while being gone, and after they were filled in on some of them they wanted to see Starfire; in person. Now all they want is for her to be happy, so they're not even going to try to force her to come to Tamaran." Shady paused; obviously glad he wasn't going to have to attempt forcing the redhead into anything. "All they're saying is if Starfire's interested in the taking place in the Trials with her lover Robin, they're cool with that."

And hell broke loose once again.

Raven's attempt to contain Starfire in the black ball of energy was proven useless when she burst forth and echoed the words "The Trials!" very loudly; of course at the same time Robin could be found mimicking the word "Lover". And then they both made it a point to look at anything but each other as their respected faces became as red as Robin's shirt. Beast Boy and Cyborg had regained interest in the entire affair and were giggling like third-grade schoolgirls, while Raven sighed once more; the bottom line now exposed.

"Ah, did I say something wrong? Maybe I should slow down a –" Shady never finished that sentence; since several of the lights in the room exploded.

"No." Raven was in charge now. "I'll talk now.

Shady wouldn't have argued with her if his life depended on it. Raven turned next on Beast Boy and Cyborg, who took a collective step backwards and ceased all noise. Beast Boy not only became as quiet as a mouse, he actually became a mouse and began hiding behind Cyborg's leg. Raven then turned on Starfire and Robin.

"Everyone in this room knows you like one another. And the floating thing in the corner wants us to go to Tamaran for something involving a test and you two being in love. So very simply, Robin, do you love Starfire?"

Robin wasn't quite as quick as Raven would have liked. He ran a hand down the back of his neck, turned to Starfire, breathed deeply once and then said: "Yes, I do."

Starfire made up for any wasted time, though. Before Raven could blink Starfire had thrown her arms around Robin and embraced him in a backbreaking hug. She was spinning around now screaming; "As do I, as do I!"

Raven turned to Shady, looking thoroughly worn-out, and said simply: "Explain now."

Shady had learned the 'Don't waste Raven's time' rule and lived up to it flawlessly. "Right, the Trials themselves are an ancient Tamaranian Tradition in which two lovers are forced through thirty days of intensive physical, emotional and mental anguish designed to test their devotion, commitment, honesty and faith to and with one another. All of those tests are vague and standard, however at the end of the thirty days the lovers are forced into three personalized tested. One crafted by the friends of the couple, one designed by the parents of the woman, that test would be taken by the man, and one by the parents of the man which would be taken by the woman."

At this point Robin spotted an obvious flaw in this plan and attempted to bring it up, however Shady cut him off very quickly; "I know, the orphan thing, I've already been to Gotham and it's taken care of it."

Raven looked pleased that she didn't have to step in again, but Robin's face had filled with worry. He knew exactly what Shady meant by "it's taken care of it", and it wasn't comforting. Starfire, who was aware of every detail of the Trials and had been for many years, was blissfully unaware of all of it and was merely humming to herself quietly.

"Well, if there are no more questions I suggest that anyone who's going go and pack now, because I'm leaving and I'll be back in the morning for the trip to Tamaran. One chance, you miss it, I'm not coming back so you'll have to find your own way." And the dark-skinned, smooth-tongued little alien floated out the door and away from Titan's Tower faster than he'd ever floated before.

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Robin was in his room now, and the Tower had gone back to silence. He wasn't under any delusions about the silence lasting long; but it did make packing quicker and he wasn't wasting time. Ironically enough the quiet he'd been enjoy was broken just as he finished the task at hand; which was the best he could have hoped for. The boy wonder turned in time for Starfire to enter the room with her eyes glued to her shoes.

"Robin?" Starfire's voice was quiet. "Is this time inconvenient?"

"No." Robin answered immediately. "What do you need Star?"

"I" Starfire's hesitance made it much easier to figure out what she wanted; although at length she lifted her eyes. She didn't meet his own, but she no longer stared fixedly at her footwear. "I hope you do not feel pressured into all of this . . . I realize we have never spoken of these matters in the past."

Robin smiled a genuine smile and closed the gap between Starfire and himself. His hand gently forced her face upward so that their eyes met. "Star, I love you. I didn't say it because of what happened earlier; I said it because it's true and you know that. I should have said it a long time ago, but I didn't. I've got no excuse, but we don't need one; as long as you're happy that is."

Starfire looked back up at him, grinning like a lunatic, and crying silent tears. "Oh I am!"

The two held that moment for only a split-second, however, as Raven's voice cut off anything that may have happened. "Don't start, I need to talk to Robin and I'd really rather do it before you two discover the joy of lovemaking."

Starfire squeaked, Robin narrowed his eyes slightly, and they both became a nice shade of fire engine red. However, the blushing was weaker than before, perhaps because they were becoming used to it; or maybe they simply didn't have enough blood left to fill their cheeks completely.

"I should finish packing." Starfire announced abruptly, and then she quickly exited the room. Robin now turned his attention on Raven, whose current mood was a mystery. She was amused on the outside, but Robin could also see a deep concern in her eyes.

Raven was the first to speak. "Did you tell Starfire?"

"Tell her what?" Robin responded instantly.

"You know what I'm talking about."

Robin hesitated. "No. Raven don't you think we have enough going on as it is?"

"Yes I do." Raven admitted without any such pause. "But I also think she has a right to know, especially if you're serious about all of this."

Robin sighed and turned away. "Some things are best left private."

"And some secrets can't be kept forever."

Robin turned back around. "That's a lesson I've learned before Raven. Still, some things need to be kept secret until the right time."

"No offense Robin, but you're record on things like this doesn't reassure me." Raven flicked her eyes to the dust-free spot on the wall that had once held Slade's Mask. They stayed for only a split-second, but Robin caught it.

"I know, alright? I know I should tell her everything now . . . but Raven everything is a lot more than you realize."

Raven paused and looked down, now hesitant herself. "Then let me see everything. It'd only take a second."

Robin looked down. "Do you really want to be jumping around my mind right now Raven?"

Raven closed her eyes. "No. Goodnight Robin." Raven was gone as quickly as she had come.

Robin found himself alone once more, not sure if he was relieved or not. Although he was sure that as soon as they got back from Tamaran – if they got back – he was buying locks for the doors.

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**Shady's whereabouts were much darker and colder than those of the Titan's; of course, that's to be expected of a villain. Shady was a villain, of course; though one could understand why he did what he did if they took the time to look at his own past and the pressure he was under. One could probably understand just by knowing whom it was putting him under pressure for that matter.

Floating silently as he fiddled with the alien communicator tucked away safely in his colorless hand, the alien seemed a completely different being. Only under Raven's no-nonsense gaze had he been so quiet and quick to act with the Titan's. However, Shady's thoughts and feelings were kept to himself and the quiet was broken only by a reply from the communicator.

"Yes?"

The simple word had been spoken so coldly that it would have made ice shiver. The unspoken threat of things worse than death was dripping from the voice like spit from a hungry dog's mouth as it's tempted with a favorite treat. Very few beings could have kept their composure in the face of that voice; and Shady was not among them.

"I made contact with the Titan's, and everything's set up as you requested. Robin and Starfire should be packing as we speak, and the other Titan's are all coming too. The plan's going just as you wished, sir."

The respect and fear in Shady's voice was realer than it had ever been. The voice wasted no time in speaking again.

"And things on Tamaran? You have taken care of those as well?"

"Yes sir, before I left. I've seen to Wayne and the situation in Gotham. My master, everything is on schedule just as you wisely foresaw. You weren't mistaken to place your trust in me, if I may be so bold."

This time there was a laugh, though it was impossible to tell if the voice's owner was amused or not. "You've already been that bold; why bother to ask now? I'll take pity on you Shady and just tell you; I have no intention of killing you today or anytime in the future. And as long as you do as you're told, that won't change."

Shady wasn't too relieved, and didn't say a word. After a slight pause the voice spoke one final time.

"Contact me when you're on Tamaran." And then silence.

Shady let out a long-held breathe and then looked down at the ground, mind blank and ill-flavored tongue at an uncharacteristic loss for words.

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**The sunlight dropping down from the morning sky couldn't compare with Cyborg's jaw drop as the Titan's eyes meet with their transportation.

It was morning, and as promised Shady had returned. All five Titans had been out on the grass, their feet now stained with fresh morning dew, as they waited for the alien. All of them had expected some attempt to impress them; but none of them could have guessed it would work so well.

A large, silver starship was hovering gently over the waves of the Titan's Island. It was too large to fly over the grass, but a lengthy ramp was extended perfectly to touch the ground just in front of the five stunned teenagers. Beast Boy was wide eyed and shaking with excitement, Robin and Starfire both stood amazed once more, Raven's eyebrow rose in her usual 'big deal', though her eyes allowed a silent sparkle of something close to impressments. And Cyborg, as no one had doubted, was speechless. His eyes were as wide as they could be, drool was sliding down his chrome-plated chest, and the itch to run up and touch the ship was clearly about to become too much.

"Sweet ride, am I right?" Shady's obnoxious voice broke the silence; and Cyborg's patience. He was bounding up to the ship, asking a million technical questions that no one would be able to answer, and making a general fool of himself as he embraced the smooth siding of the wall behind Shady.

Shady himself merely laughed – a rare genuine laugh – and then turned to the other Titan's. "I take it you're ready to go?"

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"This ship was gift to your parents Starfire, it is okay if I call you Starfire, isn't it? You never were too big on Princess Koriand'r, if my memory serves; anyway it was a gift from one of the rulers of a planet your parents and I were on; nice guy, we helped him out; well, I messed things up and your mother helped him out, you're father didn't do too much but he did keep a few of the locals from turning ol' Shady into a stuffed animal for their wall; anyway –"

The Titan's, and their strange host, were seated around a long table now. Shady's speech had become fast-paced and confused once again, and the Titan's were all very content at the moment. Shady seemed to be well informed on the eating habits of the Titans since their plates had been fixed perfectly. Robin's balanced meal was hot and ready, Starfire's plate contained something from Tamaran that she looked delighted about, Beast Boy's plate was large, meat-free and full of veggie's that he could recognize and likewise Cyborg's was just the same but reversed with no trace of green and lots of stick-to-your-ribs cooking. Even Raven's order seemed acceptable, and the drinks were done in the same.

As for the seating arrangement itself, it too had been planned. The heads of both sides of the extra-long silver table were empty, with Robin and Starfire sitting across from one another on the side farthest from the door. Beast Boy and Cyborg sat across from each other on their sides, Cyborg next to Robin and Beast Boy next to Starfire, and Raven sat at Cyborg's side looking, leaning slightly away from him to avoid flying bits of his breakfast as they missed his mouth. The rest of the table was bare, until it reached the other side where Shady sat on the right-hand side of the head, talking away and ignoring the Titan's as they ignored him.

And then from behind Shady the door opened, and things became complicated to say the least.

A man had entered the room, and Robin became tense. His back arched, his eyes narrowed and his hands gave the slightest lean towards his utility belt. That caused all of the other Titans to take notice of the man, and to tense up themselves, trying to prepare a defense or offense if needed. The man himself however was perfectly relaxed, except for his eyes which were focused squarely on Robin's masked ones.

"En garde!" The man shouted and things moved quicker than anyone would have liked. Robin shot out of his chair, flipped over the back of it and landed on his feet with his bo staff drawn; at the exact same time the man had made his way from the doorway to the seat and had smashed the exact spot that had occupied the boy-wonder only seconds before with his own bo staff.

Robin had recovered and a swipe of his staff knocked the chair aside; that was instantly followed by a sharp swiping kick from his right – which his former mentor blocked with an expert left hand. They broke apart but no one noticed because just as quickly Robin was using his right foot to knock his enemy's bo staff off it's newly set course and that was followed by Robin narrowly jumping over a sweeping roundhouse kick.

By now the other Teen Titans and Shady (who'd finally stopped talking and taken notice) had realized that even if they wanted to get involved in this fight, they couldn't. The pace was so fast that the only comparison they could draw was between some of the fights Robin had made with Slade – and this one could put most of them to shame.

The blows continued to be traded and blocked and knocked away. No one had a clear upper hand, and the combat quickly became so confusing that it was a wonder the combatants could stand up; much less keep up.

Slowly, but surely breathing became heavy. Blows became sloppy. Robin squinted and drew in his oxygen much too quickly as he caught a painful kick to the stomach. He was back in the swing of things too fast to be stopped though. And his opponent was knocked hard in the ribs by Robin's bo staff, but it merely winded him for a few second before he recovered and blocked Robin's next blow with the flawless effort that was to be expected with a reputation like his.

Still, nothing can last forever – especially when it's hardcore sparring.

Robin saw his chance – there was only one – and he took it. As Wayne messed up with a sloppy swing to the boy wonder's head, Robin ducked and counted with a dead-on kick to his former mentor's stomach. Just as planned the older of the two was sent backwards onto the ground. Robin pounced, a final blow ready and on its way.

But it never made it. Much to everyone's surprise the Dark Knight rolled to his side as the blast from the bo staff smashed the exact spot he'd been in less than a second before. Robin cursed in his mind, since he knew the fight had ended as it happened. He's seen the movement and been unable to stop it; and thus he'd failed. Bruce's rolled ended and he pushed up, angled the kick into Robin's ribs and sent the boy wonder sprawling to the ground. Of course a second kick, this one a painful drop kick from a strong right leg, followed and connected with Robin's chest.

The boy wonder was beaten.

Silence fell over the room, broken only by the heavy breathing of a crowd that had held its collective breathes, and the even deeper gasps of the two who'd done the actual work. Then, at length, Batman extended his bare hand down to his fallen heir.

"It's been too long." He said much as a father would greet his son had they been normal; or anything close to it.

"It sure had." Robin responded happily, though there was no mistaking his bitterness in losing.

"You earthlings have a strange way of greeting friends." Starfire noted innocently, which cause the laughter to flood out from everyone. Introductions weren't needed, but Robin gave one anyway as he returned to his seat, much worse for the wear but still happier than he'd been in a long time, and Wayne too his own at the head of the table just between Robin and Starfire.

The mood was bright and the group returned to happy silence accompanied by the scarffing down of massive amounts of food. Only two people seemed to feel anything beyond the downright happiness. Shady, who was controlling his nervousness well but not well enough; and Batman whose eyes were now locked on Shadarias with the kind of knowledge that comes from years of experience and cannot be denied by those who obtain it.

And far away in a place suited for someone as cold as dark as he, the Mastermind behind it all sat with a smile. The board was set, the pieces were moving, and at this rate he'd be placing his opponent in Checkmate very soon.

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That's chapter one. Reviews would be nice. XD I'm a feedback hog, I'll admit it.

Sayonara,

Brandon Rice,

PS. Happy Valentines Day!


	2. Covert Operations And Sneaky Stuff

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Two**

"**Covert Operations and Sneaky Stuff"**

**Disclaimer**: (I'm so forgetful!) The Teen Titans, Batman and all the other Characters from the DC Comics/Animated Universe are not mine, and I'm making no money out of using them. My only profit is writing experience and reviews. Title ("Anything, Anytime, Anywhere") belongs to Mr. Jimmy Buffett, and I do recommend the song as being awesome.

**A/N**: A huge thank you to Purplelllama from Mediaminer who left the very first review and a very generous story rating; another big thanks to Sbf2009 from Mediaminer who also left me a wonderful review and a generous story rating. You two are awesome and you have no clue how happy it made me to see some reviews and the added bonus of your generous story ratings. I was blown away to see thirty-five visits on the stat counter. Thirty five visits and two reviews in less than twenty-four hours; now that's something that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy and accomplished. So thanks to everyone who can and took a look. Of course the biggest thanks to the reviewers I already mentioned; I'm dedicating this chapter to the two of you. I hope you all enjoy reading it.

Oh, and sorry for the end of Chapter One being all in bold for those reading on Mediaminer. I have no clue how that happened; hopefully this one won't do that.

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Just as breakfast seemed to be custom tailored for the Titans, their rooms aboard the ship were much the same. After breakfast Shady lead them all into a lined hallway and took each Titan to his or her individual room; which seemed to be copies of their rooms from the tower. Robin's was complete with a wide selection of research material, training gear and a picture of Starfire that Shady had set beside the bed on a whim. Raven's room had been crammed with a selection of spell books and dangerous looking artifacts that rivaled the collection she actually kept at home. Cyborg, Beast Boy and especially Starfire's rooms were all much the same; they had everything the Titan's could possibly want and then some. Eliminating the need for the Titan's to leave their rooms at all – which made at least two of the Titan's suspicious at once.

Bruce Wayne had vanished just as quickly as he'd come. As soon as he'd cleared his plate and said a few quick goodbyes he'd left the dining room and gone to his own room; which was presumably somewhere close to the Titan's rooms but none of them, save Shady, could know for sure. Once the Titans had been escorted to their separate rooms the strange servant of Tamaran's royal family asked them all if they needed anything, though he was only doing so because he had too, and once they'd all confirmed they didn't he was gone to his own dark corner for his own dark deeds.

Raven hadn't been in her room long; only long enough to verify two things. One, Shady was busy with his deeds and he'd be out of her hair for a while; and two that she'd disabled all those irritating listening devices that had been left in her "perfect room". Raven quickly made her way to the door but found that for once she'd been beaten to the punch. Robin was halfway inside the room before she'd even reached it.

"So I'm not the only one suspicious of this whole thing?" Raven's sarcasm flowed impeccably.

"There's no way Shady could have prepared everything this perfectly unless he'd been spying on us. And there's no reason for him too." Robin responded in his usual manner.

"No reason other than to keep us in our rooms when he's not watching us."

"Exactly." Robin's eyes were darting around the room, but Raven quickly informed him that she'd already disabled the bugs and micro cameras that had not only been implanted all over as they'd guessed; but had been hidden in a fairly-professional manner.

"Why would Shady want to keep constant watch on all of us?" Robin wondered aloud as he looked down at the broken cameras. They were impressively well hidden and well made; which wasn't a big confidence boost.

"Either he's a really unpicky peeping tom, or we're heading right into a trap." Raven replied.

Robin wasn't sure if he was more annoyed or amused by Raven's sarcasm right now; but it didn't matter. The Titan's were in a bad situation anyway you look at it. For all his knowledge, Cyborg couldn't learn how to fly this ship without some help; and if Shady was leading them into a trap that meant they were stuck on a one-way course. They needed Shady if they didn't want to wind up floating through space helplessly; but if they didn't stop him now they'd be walking right into a trap.

"I'll go find him." Raven announced, breaking Robin's train of thought. "There's no need to tell the others either, it would only create more problems until we have proof."

Robin nodded in agreement. "I'll find Bruce; he's suspicious of everyone anyway so he'll have noticed by now."

Robin turned to the door but Raven's hand on his should stopped him.

"I'm sorry." She whispered quickly before releasing his shoulder and floating out of the room. Robin wasted no time in following her exit, a small sigh the only sign that he'd heard her at all.

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Shady sighed. Couldn't the Titans at least wait for them to be on Tamaran to start figuring things out?

Oh well, no point in changing the plan now. If they caught him before they reached Tamaran, he'd just force them to kill him. Better than being caught on Tamaran and facing the King's temper when he learned that his trusted Shady was a spy and thief. And it was ten thousand times better than failing and then trying to face – or run from – his boss. No, Shady wouldn't consider failure an option until it happened. It was just too unpleasant to be bothered with yet.

Shady shook his head, which was currently missing the usual fedora-style hat, and decided to just have a drink. He knew he wasn't getting out of this alive, and part of him was tempted to do something nuts before he went. He could have warned Starfire and her friends; but a hero's demise wasn't his style. He could sneak down into the engine room and destroy the ship, killing them all in fire and death; but that required courage and Shady lacked in that too.

Ah, who was he kidding? Shady knew how this was going to end. He was going to do his job, get the kids in the trails, and then stand back and watch them die. And if by some miracle, some odd twist of fate or divine intervention they managed to survive; well if that happened then maybe Shady would finally have his way out.

But hope wasn't his thing either. Hope, courage, heroics; those things belonged to other lifeforms. Shadarias was lies, cowardice and a love of booze. Why deny it? And on that note Shady headed over to his stash of the strongest liquor Tamaran had to offer.

* * *

The empty T shaped tower was still standing, and the city called Jump was still peaceful on the surface. Its heroes and protectors hadn't been gone long at all, and in all truth most of the city's scum hadn't noticed. However there was someone who noticed. There was someone who'd seen them leave this morning, and who knew the Tower was sitting helpless and defenseless with nothing but the security systems standing between him and all of the secrets of the Teen Titans.

And that person was Doug Miller, the thirteen-year-old who delivered the daily paper to Titan's Tower. Doug had stricken up a friendship with Beast Boy when it had been revealed that they could both memorize TV Guide schedules in minutes flat; and eventually Beast Boy had let it slip that there were ways into Titan's Tower without memorizing the complicated security shut-down codes. Ways that had in fact been made especially for Beast Boy, since he simply couldn't remember anything with that many numbers in it unless it revolved around TV in some way.

Now Doug was not a fool. He knew that Supervillians would love to get inside the tower; and he knew that it could cost innocent lives if he somehow let one in. He also knew that if he got caught both he and Beast Boy would be in severe trouble with the other Titans, and he didn't want that.

But he was a thirteen-year-old paperboy with a chance to play with superhero stuff; and resisting temptation like that was out of the question for him.

And so Doug, pale, skinny and dressed out in a simple black khaki white T-shirt combo, the red baseball cap stereotypically in place; snuck into Titan's Tower at about the same time Raven and Robin were hatching their own covert operations on the ship. And he was successful in sneaking past the security systems; just as Beast Boy had assured him he would be. The air-tight security that protected the Titan's home base was still in place. Doug had used an old secret passageway from the training field.

And he'd left the secret passageway's entrance standing wide open; which worked out wonderfully for the person watching Doug since their job just became a lot easier.

**

* * *

**

Raven had been victorious in finding Shady's room. The alien hadn't bothered to hide it; but he hadn't pointed it out either. Raven simply needed to slip inside and find the odd messenger sprawled out on the floor, sleeping soundly with a bottle of alcohol in his hand to know she was in the right place; and in it at the right time.

Shady's room wasn't what she'd expected, though in honesty she didn't know what to expect. Each of their rooms had been custom-tailored to remind them of home, and if that was the case for Shady than he came from a very bleak home. The room was completely empty; save only a bed, a liquor cabinet, and an extremely-advanced looking computer system in the corner.

Raven hesitated. If Shady was a spy then there was two places she could find evidence in; and she now had access to both. Either way was a high risk; but she already knew which she'd have to choose. It was tempting to try to access the computer since a successful hacking and cracking would yield undeniable proof of Shady's intentions and would do it quickly – but Raven's experience with computers wouldn't be enough to break into the systems Shady had; she'd be lucky to even turn it on right in all honesty. The other way was much more dangerous, but it was something she knew she could do. While the only proof yielded this way would be her word against Shady's, the other Titans would believe Raven over him.

It would then be a matter of convincing Starfire's parents to believe her.

After confirming Shady's drunken stupor one final time, Raven propped the colorless creature up against the wall and then proceeded to lower her hood. It'd help if his eyes were open for this, but she could manage. Reaching out her hand Raven closed her own eyelids for a moment as her fingers brushed his forehead; and then her eyes shot open, completely white and glazed over.

Shady's mind was now her very dangerous toy.

Raven blinked a few times as she took in her new surroundings. Of course her body was still in the same place it had just been; but her "Soul Self", as the elders on Azarath had called it, was now inside the void of Shady's mind. Unlike the trips she made into her own mind's astral plane, Shady's brain seemed organized – to say the least.

Raven stood at the end of a long, white hallway. On either side were black doors that lead all the different things that made up Shady's mind. Thoughts, Ideas, Events; Past and Present, all of it was here and ready for the reading. Raven merely needed to find what she wanted – before Shady's hangover kicked in and he woke up.

Floating forward Raven wound up outside one of the tidy black doors and noticed the label on it. Things were looking up; Shady's organizational skills were amazing. This door was labeled "childhood" and Raven passed it by. The next was "first times" and while it could yield some valuable information, such as the first time he betrayed his boss, it could also waste a lot of time with things Raven was sure would cause her nightmares. Marking the location of the door in her memory as a backup, the Titan moved on.

And then she found what seemed too good to be true. A door labeled "The Boss" was staring her in the face and her hand wasted no time in latching onto the doorknob and giving it a good squeeze. Unfortunately for Raven the doorknob didn't take kindly to being squeezed and she was electrocuted and thrown backwards. As is usually the case, the door that seemed too good to be true was just that.

Shady's mind had some security after all, it seemed. It could always have been from Shady waking up and using his will-power to reject Raven's soul-self and her touch; but the odds were against that. She doubted Shady realized how well guarded this portion of his mind was himself. Which raised an even more dangerous question; if Shady wasn't guarding this door, what was?

"You should leave here now." Her answer – a voice that seemed to echo from the other side of the door – spoke.

"And if I don't?" Raven questioned as she pulled herself off the ground. Her usual sarcasm was toned down, but still in place.

"Find out."

The reply was harsh, stone-cold and dead-serious. Raven didn't need to be told twice and she wasn't bold enough to enter that door. She knew full well how important it was that she gain access to whatever was behind the door; but she was of no help to anyone dead, and there was no doubt she was on the verge of ending up that way.

And like that Raven backed up without another word and pulled herself out of Shady's mind. The next thing she knew she was standing with her fingers still brushing Shady's head. She stumbled backwards and landed on her rear with a thud. That wasn't really so bad, but Shady's unconscious form fell forward as well and the irritating alien landed with a loud clunk just inches short of her lap. And in fate's classic way of topping her day off, Shady began to stir and make sputtering noises; an indication that he was waking up.

"Beautiful." Raven's tired sarcasm whispered before she floated upwards and then out of the wall before Shady could catch her. Raven was triumphant in returning to her own room without any further incident and she did know at least one thing for absolute, one hundred percent certainty.

Next time she'd try her luck with the computer.

Unfortunately someone had seen her exit Shady's room. And Beast Boy was well known for jumping to the wrong conclusions.

**

* * *

**

Away from Raven's covert mission into Shady's room and the confusing mind beyond, Away from Robin's rendezvous with the Dark Knight that was occurring simultaneously; there was Doug Miller. He'd broken into Titan's Tower, following old advice from his buddy Beast Boy, and despite warning from both his mother and his green-skinned chum; he'd followed his thirteen-year-old instinct and made every mistake he could.

And he loved it.

Doug was still dressed the same; black slacks, white shirt, red ball cap – he had added the utility belt and eye-mask he'd happened to "find" while "accidentally" stumbling into Robin's room. He may have made a mess in Robin's room while he was in there, but he could clean up the room later, long before the Titan's returned.

Of course Doug never would have cleaned up the room; but he'd never get the chance too either. He'd completely forgotten his first and gravest mistake – leaving the secret passage open. Doug Miller was not alone in Titan's Tower, and he was not safe.

**

* * *

**

Raven hadn't been back in her room long when the door opened. Inside stepped Robin and a fully-suited up Bruce Wayne. Any surprise she had at their arrival was kept hidden along with her disappointment in her earlier failure.

"Shady's leading us into a trap; but I've got no proof." Raven announced without much enthusiasm.

"I do." Batman replied; and Raven's zeal about the whole thing suddenly returned, as did her confusion.

"I told you he's more suspicious than the both of us." Robin took it upon himself to give the long-awaited explanation. "Bruce and I got there just as Shady was waking up from what I'm guessing was a hangover, and probably some of your handiwork."

Raven allowed a nod. "Naturally. Go on."

"He was half-unconscious anyway, so we helped him get back to sleep." Robin indicated with his fist in the air. Batman picked up the story without missing a beat.

"From there I just had to get into his computer. It's advanced alien technology; but still kid's stuff next to the Batcave." Bruce reached down to the trademark yellow-belt and extracted a small white envelope. Raven recognized it as a CD and knew the proof of Shady's conspiracy was safe, sound and in their hands.

"So what's the story?" Raven asked, hoping their newfound luck would hold.

Much to Raven's annoyance, their newfound luck didn't hold. Robin shook his head. "There weren't any details on the trap; only that it has something to do with the trails. I'd assume Starfire and I are the targets, but . . ."

Batman cut him off. "All we need to know for now is whether we're taking Shady down now or later on Tamaran. And that's your call Robin."

Robin looked down and shook his head. "Let's play this out a little longer. We have Shady, but we still don't know who he's working for. And our best – and only – chance to get find out is on Tamaran."

Raven's voice was quiet again. "And you're willing to take the risk? Your life, Starfire, everything?"

Robin grinned weakly. "Goes with the job."

**

* * *

**

Honestly, this was too easy.

Slade was stunned as he flicked his single-eye from screen to screen, watching it all unfold. The events on Tamaran, the Starship, Titan's Tower; all of it connected here before him on a series of television and computer feeds. The Mastermind of the events sat in a tall-backed chair, his grip on the handles tightening with his rising temper as he saw just how much he'd overestimated his opponents. He could see everything that was happening and it was mostly a disappointment.

Shady's failure was to be anticipated; Slade had expected the Titan's to figure him out quickly. The fact that it had taken so long; and that Batman had been needed to uncover the plan this quickly was an extra displeasure for the one-eyed fiend since he had hoped for some challenge in all of this. No, not hoped; demanded. Robin and Raven had disappointed him before; but surely the Dark Knight of Gotham could do better than to walk so blindly into Slade's open arms?

Slade's fury was taken out, once again, on the armrest of his chair. It would break soon. However he was quick to regain his composure. It wasn't all bad news. His plan was moving forward much better than he'd expected; which was excellent even if it vexed him. As long as the Titans arrived and remained on Tamaran – as long as the Trails took place – things would be fine. Exasperating and infuriating from the looks of it, but fine.

And as much as it haunted him to admit it, he needed the ending to go his way. Failure was not an option for Slade Wilson; not this time.

**

* * *

**

**A/N**: Well that's all for now. I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions on the events and revelations.

I do hope I'm not making it too confusing to follow. I mention this because I was a bit confused writing this one and while it's probably just my easily-confused nature I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Until next time, thanks for reading, some feedback will make me smile, and I wish you all good luck in whatever you do.

- Brandon Rice


	3. Shoe Worms And Shady's Many Bosses

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Three**

"**Shoe-Worms and Shady's Many Bosses"**

**A/N**: This chapter dedicated to Paper Bear, LightedSoul, AlphaDraconis1, Clueless90, and Farmqt of who really did brighten my day with their reviews. Seriously, thank you all, my spirit needed lifting and being swamped with review alerts did just that. Oh and the same deal for Quickleaf on Mediaminer; all the feedback makes me feel warm and accomplished. Thanks.

Here's hoping this chapter doesn't disappoint. I'm trying not to rush the plot, but at the same time I'm trying to keep it from slowing down. There's some important stuff coming up and it's hard to keep everything together; but I think it'll be okay.

Oh, and I should give a warning. Shady hits the bottle rather hard in this chapter; and I know stuff like that can bother people, so you've been warned; please don't complain later.

**

* * *

**

"Our plans set, I'm off." Batman announced to Robin and Raven. "There's no point in letting Shady become suspicious of us if we're playing this out. I'll be in my room; but I'll be alert."

And there was no need for another word from anyone. The Dark Knight was quick to make haste and disappear down the hallway in the direction of his room.

"What about you?" Raven asked. Her plans were the most obvious of all – she'd be in her room and she'd want to be undisturbed. She wouldn't be doing the usual things in her room; but that didn't change her opinion on company.

"I think I'm going to check on Star, actually." Robin replied as he made up his mind.

"I don't think Shady would start anything with her before he absolutely had too." Raven's hints to Starfire and Shady's encounter in Titan's Tower were clear.

"No, it's not that." Robin shook his head. "She can handle Shady fine by herself; she just seems too quiet."

Raven allowed a small smile along with her dry wit this time. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth boy-wonder."

"Not all of us like it quiet." Was Robin's only comeback as he turned and headed to Starfire's room. Raven was tempted to see what happened, but she did have something more important to plan. Now that they knew they were being lead into a trap, it was time to make sure all of the Teen Titans were on the same page about everything. Shady had his plans, and now the Titan's needed one of their own. They were still going to go along with the trap; Robin was right, they couldn't afford to lose Shady's boss – but if you've got to walk into a trap, may as well be ready.

**

* * *

**

The silence of Titan's Tower had already been shattered when Doug Miller had wrecked the house; but now the peace and quiet of all Jump City was in danger. Doug's rampage of playing with the Titan's things had spread to the garage and to one of the most dangerous possessions he could have gained access too was now in his reach.

The T-Car.

Aside from being Cyborg's most cherished toy, and being fully-loaded with enough weaponry to destroy small neighborhoods in a single bound, the T-Car posed one more lethal threat to the harmony of Jump City – A stereo system second to none. And in the hands of a hyper thirteen-year-old with no experience behind the wheel and a lack of good judgment, it was the perfect means to deafen, flatter or blow-up anything in sight.

Providing of course he learn how to start it.

Doug was now irritated as he sat in the front seat, pounding on the dash and begging the car to start like his immature nature had suggested he would. Fortunately – perhaps – there was help being offered.

"Need a hand, kid?"

Doug's first reaction at the voice was a loud yelp; his second was to realize that, in his mind, he could pass as a Titan and it was his responsibility to protect the tower. Doug whirled around to the passenger side door and whipped out a bird-a-rang from "his" belt, holding it as he thought he should. In all honesty he was holding it backwards and couldn't have hit his target if he'd wanted too – but Doug's luck was holding, somewhat.

"Whoa, take it easy." Red X's smooth voice flowed from behind his masked face. The intruder – the second intruder technically – didn't take a step back from the T-Car but he did raise his hands. "I'm not looking for a fight."

Doug was now accountable. He knew that Robin would be mad at him for demolishing the peace of the Tower, but he also knew that he could change that by catching a real-life supervillian – besides, it would be awesome! The notion that a real-life supervillian may be dangerous to him had escaped from Doug's mind for now, and he was going to be a tough guy.

"Don't give me that." Doug boldly spat. "You're in Titan's Tower, and you don't look like a Titan to me."

Behind his mask X was undoubtedly grinning. "Funny, I was thinking the same."

Doug flushed, but he didn't waver. This was his big chance. If he caught this guy he could become a real Titan – he was sure of it! "I happen to be the youngest – and most talented – of all the Titans! Why else would they leave me in charge when they had to go on an important mission?"

"If you're the best why wouldn't you go on the important mission with them?" X replied at once, amused. Logic was every little boy's weakness, after all. Doug's face became pale.

"You shut up! Unless you want a face full of this!" Doug waved the bird-a-rang bravely, but his confidence was shaking.

"Cut the crap kid, you're no more of a Titan than I am." X bluntly stated. "But I do know how to start that car, and picking on kids isn't my style, so why don't we help each other out?"

If Doug had a response, he wasn't given time to say it before Red X continued with what he hoped sounded like a good deal to this kid.

"When are the Titans due back?" X asked.

"W-Why?" Doug stammered, slowly losing any confidence he had.

"Because if I know that, I'll know how long we can have our fun before Robin comes and catches us." X explained, once again trying to convince the boy that this was all a harmless game.

"A month, Beast Boy said." Doug confessed before the idea of stopping himself even crossed his mind.

"Now that's the best news I've heard in a while, kid." X could hardly contain _his_ excitement. "Well, why don't I start the car for you and you go do your thing. I'll stay here and do mine, and we'll just both promise to bring everything we take back and clean up before the Titan's get back; what do you say?"

Before Doug could say anything, X had thrown a small X-shaped device onto the ignition of the T-Car. There were some sparks and a loud electric humming and a moment later the car's engine roared into life. Doug knew in his heart that this was a mistake; but he couldn't resist.

"You better not mess anything up inside." Doug warned; his boldness restored.

"Wouldn't dream of it kid." Red X assured him before he took a step back from the car and proceeded into the house; his plans going better than he ever could have hoped.

And as for Doug Miller, the thirteen-year-old menace that'd been unleashed on Titan's Tower for the past few hours? He sped off towards Jump City in the hijacked T-Car.

Slade had never honestly given a second thought to the welfare of Jump City when he's lured the Titan's away. This was personal for the one-eyed true menace. However he had endangered the populace of the city by the bay by luring the Titan's away; whether he'd meant too or not.

Red X was loose in the Tower, Doug Miller was driving a dangerous weapon, and Slade was preparing for his own trip out of town.

Jump City had never needed the Teen Titans more than they did now.

**

* * *

**

"My head hurts."

Shady was wide awake. And his head felt like he'd been run-over by . . . something big and heavy. The bald, colorless, downright irritating little alien hadn't felt this bad in a long time. How much had he drunk? Shady sat up from the floor and looked around at the empty bottle. No, that couldn't be right. He could hold his liquor better than that, couldn't he?

And then in a tiny corner of his organized mind a light bulb clicked on and Shady realized that something was up. If there was one skill Shady was sure he wouldn't have lost for no reason it was his ability to drink massive amounts of liquor and still maintain some consciousness. If he felt this bad it wasn't from a single bottle of alcohol – even Tamaran's finest. The Titans were up to something, which meant they knew he was up to something, which meant he was screwed.

"At least it can't get any –" Shady's bad mood was getting worse and before he had a chance to finish his venting, the small alien communicator went off. Shady snatched it up and answered it in the rudest tone he could muster. "What?"

"Don't take that voice with me you incompetent fool." Slade blasted back, not bothering to mask his fury.

"With all due respect boss, now isn't a good time." Shady held his own, for once; which was a mistake.

"With all due respect." Slade replied in his most dangerous tones. "You let Raven play with your mind, and you let Batman play with your computer. Now you go find out what they know and how much they know about it before I lose my temper; _do I make myself clear?_"

"I'm the one taking all the risk." Shady responded; but instantly he regretted it. His bad mood was gone and replaced by his usual weakness and fear. He'd crossed the line with Slade and he knew it. And much to his distress; Slade began to laugh over the other side of the communicator.

"You're right Shadarias." Slade replied calmly. "You're the one up there taking all the risk, while I sit here safe and sound."

Shady knew where this was going and he knew he'd have no luck in stopping Slade from doing it – but he had to try anyway. "Sir, I didn't mean –"

"Shut up and keep your cover intact. We'll discuss this matter further when I arrive on Tamaran."

The communicator clicked off and Shady shut his eyes. Things were looking bad. His computer and his mind had been picked of information – what and how much he didn't know – and Slade was now on his way to Tamaran. There was no way this could get worse for him. No way unless . . .

Shady closed his eyes. Slade said Raven had been in his mind? She had been looking for information on his employer. She _could_ have found something on Slade and left; but she could have found the boss's door; and she'd assume that "boss" meant Slade. And as soon as these thoughts crossed his mind, it must have triggered the connection because that's when the "boss" – the other boss, besides Slade or the King of Tamaran – spoke.

"Why was Raven at my door Shadarias?" The demonic voice from Shady's mind spoke to him.

"She was looking for proof that I'm a traitor." Shady responded tiredly.

"A traitor to whom? The Titans? The Royals? Slade? Surely Shadarias, Raven does not expect my involvement in any of this?"

"I doubt it sir." Shady answered honestly. "She knows I'm dirty, but there's been no indication at all that you're even vaguely connected to any of this."

There was a silence from his mind for a long time. Then at length the voice from beyond his mind spoke once more. "Shadarias, we both know Slade is anxious to dispose of you; and the King of Tamaran has a temper that would never let you survive being proven a traitor in his eyes. I however can protect you; and you know it."

"And why would you want too?" Shady asked. "Why would I even want to keep living a life like this?"

"Shadarias; through you and your recent mistakes I have access to something I've wanted for longer than any mortal like yourself can even imagine. I'm not going to let this chance slip away. You're going to co-operate with me."

"And if I refuse?" Shady inquired at length.

"Shadarias, I'm already connected to your mind; you _can't_ refuse me. And you're far from my only means to accomplish my goal – you're simply the most convenient."

Shady suddenly realized, with much horror, what was being said by these subtle hints. "I, I could have rejected Raven's powers if I'd been –"

"Been what? Awake? Sober? No you couldn't have. Raven could have easily broken you even at your full strength; and if she can, just imagine what I can do."

Shady sighed. Death was looking better and better every second; but it was out of his hands. He no longer had any choices about anything. He'd gotten in too deep, and he was tired of swimming. Everything was going to be out in the open in the not-too-distant future. Shady's only real driving force anymore was just to see who'd be more surprised by it all – and to see who'd survive it.

Not that he expected to be one of them.

The boss from beyond his mind became quiet once more. And Shady went back to his booze drawer; deciding that one bottle of Tamaran's finest wasn't nearly enough. The strongest alcohol in the known universes, and Shady had a good supply.

And he'd be fresh out by morning.

**

* * *

**

Robin knocked lightly on Starfire's door; mainly because he had no clue what she'd been doing or really where she was since dinner ended. And while Robin knew for a fact she could take care of herself against an enemy like Shady – and he knew Shady wouldn't be crazy about the idea of taking on someone like Star – he couldn't shake the feeling that the Tamaranian he'd fallen for was being too quiet for her own good.

Normally – if normal was the right word for them – Starfire was a noisy addition to the team. Raven could stay out of sight and sound for days on ends; the only indication that she was even alive being that her portion of the food would slowly vanished from the refrigerator. Robin was better about leaving his room; but he could be completely silent and cut off as well – especially when he was obsessed with something. Beast Boy and Cyborg were much louder and much more open with everything; but Starfire was literally noise in every sense of the word. From overreacting to simple, everyday Earth things as she experienced them for the first time to simply becoming easily excited; she did make a lot of noise. And now she was the quietest of all.

"Starfire?" Robin asked through the door.

No response. Robin opened the door and stepped inside, not too quickly incase it was nothing; but with enough haste that he'd know in plenty of time to become combat-ready. Unfortunately what he found only added to his confusion.

Starfire's room was a wreck; the bed was turned over, there were blast marks from starbolts clearly evident, and in the middle of the room was a pile of blankets and clothing that was bouncing around. Robin drew a bird-a-rang from his belt and made his way quickly and cautiously over to the shaking bundle. He threw the top blanket off to find Starfire, wrapped up in her spare clothing and gagged with a boot.

"Star! Hang on!" Robin quickly flashed the bird-a-rang and sliced the bindings from her body as he simultaneously released the boot from her mouth. Starfire gave a terrified yelp and fled behind the safety of Robin's cape, her hands glowing with starbolts as she did.

"Where is he?" Robin asked, feeling murderous as thoughts of Shady crossed his mind.

"The closet." Starfire murmured.

Robin wasted no time. He hastily stepped forward and kicked the closet door in; which released the predator. Much to Robin's mixture of astonishment and horror, it was not Shady. He didn't know what it was. It looked like a large, pink snake; ten feet in length or so. Its body wasn't made from scales but rather a substance that reminded Robin of a worn-out camping bag. Green patterns in the shape of rectangles went down its back and its eyes looked like large ruby-red baseballs. The snake tilted its head for a second looking at Robin, and then it opened its jaws to show fangs that looked to be too long for its mouth and too sharp for the creature to qualify as "friendly".

Of course all of this happened very fast, pausing only for a split seconds hesitation before picking up the pace once more. The snake-like creature hissed and launched itself at Robin like a rocket; Robin jumped to the side and let his bird-a-rang sail from his hand with a snap and watched in satisfaction as it sliced down the side of the beast; while Starfire squeaked, flew directly upwards, and bombarded the creature (as well as everything around it) with green balls of energy.

Once the smoke had cleared Robin leaned against the wall at a genuine lack for words, and Starfire landed beside him not officering anything but a hug; though only a light one (which was actually a good thing; Robin reminded himself).

"Star? What was that thing?" Robin asked at length.

"A Tamaranian shoe-worm. And I am ever-most grateful for your help in killing it. I have had a fear of them since Blackfire put one in my room when I was still small."

"Oh. Do you know how it got in here?" Robin wasn't sure if now was a good time to bring up Shady and his reason for coming or not.

"I believe the ship is infested with them; I discovered its nest in my closet and there was only this one but room enough for many more."

"Well, we'll keep our eyes open for more of them. Listen Star, there's some things you need to know." Robin turned to her now, his eyes full of that serious look he'd inherited from his experience; and Starfire could tell it wasn't good news.

"Yes?" She asked quietly.

"It's a trap Star. The trails. I'm sorry." Robin spoke softly and quietly; but he never stopped looking in her eyes. "Shady confessed. He's a traitor, Batman and I hacked into his computer and Raven went through his brain. I'll spare you the details, if you want."

Starfire was taking it well on the outside, but Robin knew better. She had had her heart set on the Trails, and she had probably trusted Shady more than anyone else on board did. He didn't have to see the tears collecting in her eyes, or notice the fact that her body was starting to shake to know how upset she was.

"So then . . . we are too withdraw from the trip?" Starfire asked.

"Starfire, Shady didn't plan this himself. He's working for someone. I don't know if they wanted us to leave the city, or if they just hoped you and I would die in the trails; but I know we can't catch them unless we do what they want and move forward as planned. And . . ." Robin paused. "I was looking forward to the trails anyway; so if you're willing to risk it, we're going to keep going."

Starfire then did something that genuinely surprised the boy wonder. She laughed and hugged him gently; being too worn out for her usual backbreaker.

"The entire point of the trails is to risk it. We must keep going!"

Robin leaned back and grinned. "Then we're all set. Raven can tell Cyborg and Beast Boy what's going on, and Shady's been taken care of; so we just have to sit back and wait to arrive on Tamaran."

Starfire shook her head. "No, we must clear out the shoe-worm infestation as well. I cannot sleep knowing there are shoe-worms on the ship."

Robin shrugged. Hunting down killer-shoe worms wasn't exactly his idea of fun, but after how this had started and the many possibly ways it could end in his head; he wasn't going to complain.

**

* * *

**

"Doooooo-ude!" Beast Boy burst through the door to Cyborg's bedroom as quickly as a cheetah, as loudly as an angry grizzly, and sounding strangely like a hyper-active cow. While the green titan didn't turn into any of these animals, it was still distractive enough to cause Cyborg to fall backwards in surprise with a yelp.

Which wasn't something Cyborg wanted to do at any time; but especially when he'd been only three-hundred points away from breaking his high score on "Extreme Dirt Racing 3". Cyborg rose to his feet, grabbed Beast Boy by the head, and showed that he too could be very loud.

"Dude! Do you realize I was only two kick-flips and a backwards spiral away from breaking my high-score?"

Beast Boy and Cyborg arguing over video games was hardly anything new; but what Beast Boy said next was.

"Cyborg this is more important than video games!"

There was a few seconds ringing silence following those words. Cyborg looked at Beast Boy with a clear expression of confusion, and then suspicion. "I'm not falling for that BB, you'll have too –"

"I'm serious." Beast Boy responded, and for once he looked the part.

"Well, my timing seems perfect." Raven's usual wit was suddenly added to the room; Cyborg released Beast Boy as they both turned to find the half-demon floating inside.

"Raven!" Beast Boy suddenly went from serious, to seriously angry. He stomped over to her boldly and sucked in his breath to puff of his chest. Raven rose a eyebrow almost instantly.

"Yes?"

"Look, I know something's going on around here! I saw you in Shady's room, and I know that you guys are keeping something from us and I want to know what it is and I want to know now!" Beast Boy's tough guy routine was fairly pathetic, but Cyborg took a large step back since he didn't think pushing Raven's buttons to be a good idea under any circumstances.

"Okay."

"Don't take that tone with me – what?" Beast Boy blinked.

"Whoa." Was all Cyborg had to add.

"That's why I came here." Raven explained. "Forget it, this'll be quicker."

There was a brief confusion in which both Beast Boy and Cyborg looked as if they wanted to ask "What will be quicker", but neither got the chance.

In one fluid motion Raven blinked her eyes from normal to pure white, extended a hand aiming towards each of the two, and shouted: "Azarath Metreon Zinthos!" The next thing either of the Titan's knew they were on the floor rubbing their heads with Raven standing over them looking slightly too pleased by knocking them over.

"Hey, why'd you do that – Ahhh!" Beast Boy shouted. Raven had merely transferred everything she needed to inform them of directly into their minds; which caused them both to freak out.

"Whoa." Cyborg repeated himself from earlier, flabbergasted.

"How did we miss all this stuff happening?" Beast Boy asked.

"It's moments like these that make me wonder how anyone can ask me why I prefer to stay in my room." Raven noted before leaving the two to their newfound understanding – and confusion.

**

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**

**Closing Notes**: Not much more for me to say really. They'll be an update in the near future and I'm going to continue to try to reveal the storyline in just the right way. I'm trying not to make the ending too obvious, but still keep it guessable. Of course knowing me I could completely change the entire course of events before we get there; so really nobody knows for sure.

Hope you enjoyed it; feedback will keep the story alive, thanks for reading.

- Brandon Rice


	4. CommSphere Conversations and Kisses in t...

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Four**

"**Commsphere Conversations and Kisses in the Kitchen"**

**A/N**: I'm so sorry for taking longer-than-usual to update! I've been busy with physical therapy, lack of inspiration, an addictive video game, and an easily fixed but incredibly annoying mix up in the order I wrote the scenes of this chapter in; but all has been corrected, and here it is for your (hopeful) reading enjoyment.

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**

After a brief conversation in which Robin assured Starfire many, many times that they could handle this on their own (she had wanted to involve everyone on the ship), the youths had decided to start their hunt of "Shoe-Worms." Starfire flat out refused to return to her room until they were all dead, and while Robin was sure she'd eventually fall asleep; he didn't want Starfire pushing herself like, just in case she needed to stay on her toes; which she did for the time being. Besides, it wouldn't be his idea of fun to have to explain to everyone tomorrow why Starfire didn't return to her own bedroom the night before – he could imagine Raven's sarcasm now, and Beast Boy and Cyborg would be worse. Oh yeah, much easier just to fight a bunch of killer pink snakes.

And so far it hadn't been as bad as Robin had imagined it. Along the beginnings of their hunt Starfire had gone into detail on what Shoe-Worms actually were; and once he understood more about them, Robin was wasting no time in proving that while their natural instinct may be good; his training was better. Shoe-Worms, which of course had a real name besides "Shoe-Worm" but Robin was far from attempting to pronounce it, were an uncommon sight on Tamaran. Mostly living in dark, cold places like caves and swamps. Normal shoe-worms were much smaller than these, only growing to be about the size of a small snake; and they had the ugly habit of hiding in the long purple shoes worn by most of Tamaran's populace; which explained the name anyway.

Of course this also worried Robin. If shoe-worms were normally small and found in swamps, why was this spaceship infested with the ten-foot-long version? The first answer that came to mind was Shady – but Robin quickly dismissed him. Not only did Shady's cowardice make it unlikely he'd want anything to do with a ten foot pink snake that had the nasty habit of killing everything around it; which made the idea of Shady catching and planting Shoe-worms all over this ship a huge doubt; Robin knew the little jerk wouldn't be flying on the ship if he thought there was a chance they could turn on him. Which lead him to a very horrifying realization.

If Shady didn't let them in, there were only two ways they could have gotten here. They were already here when Shady took the ship; or someone else brought them on board while the ship was still on Tamaran. Someone who didn't want Shady or the Titan's to survive the trip.

And there was no way of knowing if that somebody was still here or not; or if shoe-worms were all they'd managed to sneak aboard. However before Robin could ponder this possibility any further, many things happened very quickly.

He and Starfire had just arrived at their destination, one of the few rooms unexplored on the ship until now. It had been marked on the door in Tamaranian writing and Robin had assumed it had something to do with either the engine or the steering; so he had stayed away. In fact he was close, it was the Communication Sphere room – which was a fancy way of saying the Tamaranian radio. The room itself was pretty simple. It was pretty much just a round, metallic room. The walls were smooth and it all circled like a dome. There were counters along the edges and plenty of shadows for shoe-worms to hide in; but that wasn't what caught Robin's eye.

What did was the middle of the room. A single white pedestal rose out of the floor, carved out of a substance that resemble both white marble and some kind of metal he'd never seen before. There were carvings of Tamaranian letters along the sides going up and down, and two round rings that rose out from near the base, curved upward along the sides and out on a slope, and then connected. At the top, floating in mid air above the pedestal was a glowing blue orb that swirled with white fog and gave off the only light in this room – which was dim at best.

Robin turned his interest to Starfire and quickly noticed that she was also staring directly at the strange orb and it's base; however he knew from the way she was shaking with anticipation that she knew what it was and how to use it – and she was going to use it. Robin saw it all happen before it happened; which was good because it helped him prepare.

A fraction of a second later Starfire had run forward to the orb; she did control her voice this time and not let out the usual scream of excitement, however it hadn't mattered. The quick movement had been enough to stir up a shoe-worm from the shadows, and that worm had wasted no time in jumping towards the healthy helping of Tamaranian Princess that it could now have for dinner. Robin, still grateful he knew this was coming, had already leapt forward himself and in another display of his timing and precision with bird-a-rangs, the shoe-worm fell on the ground headless right at Starfire's feet and it had all been done without a sound.

Until Starfire noticed the ten-foot pink snake that was now lying headless across her feet. Then she screamed in the loudest voice she could muster. Robin, who was aware that most of the ship was trying to sleep, dove into action and slapped his hand over her face.

And it was irony that won this time. Because at that moment the swirling white clouds that had been floating on the surface of the glassy blue orb began to swirl and disperse. And a moment later two things had changed. One, the room was now lit up with the light that was anything but dim; and two the surface of the sphere now showed a woman's face.

A woman who wore clothing that, while whiter and fancier, was obviously a fancier version of the tradition Tamaranian garb; that, combined with the long red hair, deep green eyes, and immediate loud scream was enough to tell Robin he'd just seen Queen Luand'r of Tamaran; and she'd just seen him slap his hand over his daughter's face.

And then she'd turned around and dashed off, screaming for her husband King Myand'r. Robin sighed; what a first impression he'd just made. He sighed in defeat and let go of Starfire's mouth, at which point she instant exclaimed; "Robin! The CommSphere works! That was my mother! Oh, she will get the wrong idea for sure; we must try to contact her before –"

However it was too late. A moment later there was a lot of company on both sides of the sphere. The sphere once again showed Queen Luand'r of Tamaran, this time joined by King Myand'r and Galfore. The queen looked worried, the King looked downright furious, and Galfore took one look at Robin and sighed as the misunderstanding became clear to him. On Robin's side of the sphere there were new arrivals too – everyone else on the ship, aside from Shady and any passengers they didn't know about.

And everybody was talking at once. Well, not everyone. Raven had quickly realized there was no immediate danger and after lowering her guard she moved off to one side and watched quietly; something that Batman did at pretty much the same time. Cyborg and Beast Boy however were shouting furiously wanting to know what happened; just as the King was. Starfire was speaking much too fast for anyone (save perhaps her mother, who seemed to be following along) to understand.

In the end Robin's choices were clear. "Hey! If everyone will just shut up for a minute I can explain all of this!"

"You had better explain who you are and why you were attacking my daughter! I swear the entire vengeance of Tamaran upon you if any harm comes to my beloved Koriand'r!" Myand'r shouted.

"Who the heck are those dudes? And what's with the glowing ball?" Beast Boy blurted out.

"Oh no! Father Robin was not attacking me, he was saving me from a shoe-worm!" Starfire exclaimed.

"SHOE-WORMS? ON MY SHIP? IMPOISSIBLE!" The King screamed. The Queen screamed too, and she dove behind the king – obvious she, like her daughter, disliked shoe-worms greatly.

"This is the young Robin you wish to attend the Trials with?" Queen Luand'r, suddenly unafraid, asked as she poked her face towards Robin.

"Perhaps." Batman spoke in a voice that ceased all other chatter. He wasn't yelling, but he spoke firmly enough that no one misheard him. And even the King of Tamaran seemed to be quieted for a moment by the grave seriousness that floated so eloquently off the experienced tongue. "I can shed some light on all of the confusion. But first a proper introduction is in order, if I remember my gentlemen's manners. I am Bruce Wayne, and I'm honored by your presence your highnesses." At this the Dark Knight bowed quickly and lowly and then shot a glance at Robin to tell him he was next.

Robin quickly followed suit by bowing himself and identifying himself. And after that things were calm and in control. Starfire was much too busy controlling her excitement to introduce herself but everyone knew her anyway, but didn't need too. Cyborg tried his best to copy Batman, which was much better than Beast Boy. When it turned to Raven she pulled it off quickly, quietly and flawlessly. Then those on the other side of the orb; first the King, Queen and finally Galfore. And that had settled that, and now they all seemed unsure as to who was suppose to speak further.

"Father." It was Starfire who broke the silence. She was speaking in a tone of half nervousness and half excitement; which actually blended quite nicely for once. "Robin was not attacking me. He had just finished saving me from a shoe-worm, and when I saw the body fall across my feet I screamed and we thought everyone else onboard may be asleep so he was merely trying to calm me down and prevent them from waking up at the same time. Please, if you must be angry with someone, make it me. For it was my fault."

"It wasn't your fault Starfire." Robin said at once, no longer giving a damn what the King thought of him and instead heading over to Starfire and placing an arm around her shoulder. "You just . . . don't like shoe-worms. And I can't say I really blame you. But you've been incredibly brave about fighting them with me. If anyone's at fault it's me. We should have woken everyone else up before we started the hunt just like you said."

Any anger Myand'r still had towards Robin had faded fast from his face. He had suddenly been reminded of an incident from his youth involving Luand'r, himself and a shoe-worm problem of their own. And it was then that he first saw what Starfire saw in Robin and realized why she'd chosen him for the Trails. And that was enough of that subject for a while.

"I am confused deeply on the subject of shoe-worms." Galfore suddenly added, changing the subject and addressing the most important issue. "How did they end up aboard the ship? I was there myself and I assure you that they're was not a single infestation to be found when Shadarias was given control of the ship."

"Well, Shady's a traitor." Raven's sarcastic wit replied. "It's a long story, but we've got proof."

The King shook his head. "Shadarias is indeed a traitor; I have suspected him for some time. However I never thought he would endanger my daughter, or act against the crown so openly. Why has he not been arrested yet?"

"If we arrest him now he'll never tell us who he's working for." Robin explained quickly. "Whoever it is has enough influence over Shady to make him betray both Earth and Tamaran; and that means trouble anyway you look at it. But if we continue on with Shady's game a little while longer, there's a good chance we can find out who's really behind it; and then we'll take down Shady and his boss."

"You're plan is a noble one, however it requires my daughter to be in very real danger." King Myand'r.

"A danger I willingly face for those I love." Starfire added quickly. Her father sighed, knowing he couldn't stop this.

"Very well. I shall leave this matter in your hands Master Robin. However if any harm befalls my daughter –"

"With all due respect, King Myand'r, if anything happens to Starfire there's no punishment you could give me that would be worse than the one I'd give myself." Robin cut him off with haste and a dead serious tone to his voice.

**

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The skies were dark on Tamaran tonight, and the mood on the patio of the royal palace of was even darker. Not dark due to some tragedy or great sadness; merely from a bad feeling and a case of insomnia. Really too most this feeling was unnoticed and unknown. After all, who could be sad now? The announcements had been made. Soon the Princess Koriand'r, whom the people all held dear love and respect for, was to undergo the Trails of Old! They actual name was the Trials of Kor'sanche, named after the warrior hero who founded them to win the hand of his beloved; however it had been so long since anyone had attempted them the people of Tamaran knew them mostly as the "Trials of Old."

They all knew of the Trials. So many stories of those who had attempted them over the years, some had passed and some had failed; and depending on who you asked you'd heard various reasons why. One thing was for sure though; it was exciting to know they would be seen again. Of course the real excitement was all of the debate over whether or not the Princess would succeed them; and if she did, did it mean she'd be staying on Tamaran this time? All there remembered, or had heard of, the events that had lead to Koriand'r's last return to Tamaran; and some actually had heard the slightly better kept secrets around her original departure. The bottom line was, the people of Tamaran knew very little about what was actually going on; and they liked to talk about it a lot.

However, Tamaran's king was not in the festive mood shared by most. There was no noisy gossip on the terrace of the palace, no festive cheer, no traded rumors; and that was why he was out here now; because he was brooding, and wanted to brood alone. It wasn't the Impending Trials, nor the fact that his daughter was apparently in love with someone the King knew very little of; these things did not bother him. If Starfire was willing to undergo the Trials for this young man, and he was willing to do the same for her; the King would not doubt their belief in love. And truly, he did not fear for Starfire's safety in the actual Trails. He knew the details of them, and he knew how dangerous they actually were; but he also knew his daughter.

No, the things bothering him were the things beyond his control. Like the shoe-worms he'd heard of on the ship; that was bothering him. And of Shadarias betrayal to the crown that, while not altogether shocking, was still troubling. Shadarias would never openly betray Tamaran unless he felt confident that someone would protect him. And if Shady had found someone who he felt was strong enough to protect him from a planet of super-powerful warriors, all of who had a fetish for violence and war; then the King feared this person could bring much pain to his planet. And besides; Shady was handy to have around – it really sucked that he'd probably have to be thrown in prison or executed for all of this.

Suddenly the King's brooding was broken by the sound of heavy footsteps. They were footsteps he knew well, for he'd heard them many times over many years. Galfore was approaching him; undoubtedly wearing a look of concern for the man he'd pledged his eternal service too. Galfore and the King went way back; how could they not? Before the King's daughters were born, Galfore had been a powerful warrior, an advisor, and a friend. And after the girls had come into his life Galfore had been there for them – and when someone is there for your children, it creates a bond between the two of you that nothing short of absolute betrayal can break.

"Highness, I do not believe I have seen you this troubled in many years." Galfore's voice suddenly crashed through the waves of thought that had been sweeping through the King's mind.

"Mmm. Are my troubles so obvious?" The King replied without turning around; though he knew the answer.

"I apologize to say so, but they are. Both to my old eyes and to the Queen's."

"Ah." The King said, a small grin playing across his lips for a moment before vanishing away into the night. "So you have come on her request?"

"I have come on behalf of both of us, sire. Her Highness bids you come to bed and allow her to care for you; perhaps then you shall forget your worries for even a little while." Galfore spoke softly.

"And do you believe my wife can cheer me up?" The King asked, not sure himself if the question was meant to be serious or sarcastic.

"I do not believe she can take your mind off of the Princess sire, no; but I believe you shall enjoy her attempts to do so." Galfore's attempt at comedy was less than his best; but better than his worst.

"Hmm. Perhaps I shall retire to bed shortly; however now I cannot tear my eyes away from the sky. I . . . I fear that she is in danger, Galfore. I fear for my daughter's future."

Galfore was at the King's side by now. He leaned forward and rested his massive arms against the banister beside the Ruler of the Planet. Both of them were big men; but Galfore was slightly bigger. However because the King was taller and thinner it gave the appearance that Galfore was even larger than in reality. "I do not. I know well that the Trails are dangerous, and I know that you must wonder if her future shall rest on Tamaran or on Earth; and you must be equally wondering of Master Robin and whether or not he is the right person for your beloved Koriand'r. And of course, after what we were told in the Commsphere, and what we were not told but could guess from Master Robin's eyes . . . The news of Shadarias, while not a shock, does not bode well."

The King interrupted. "Shadarias! I should have smited him years ago! Bringing shoe-worms onto my ship, acting against me so openly, endangering my daughter! I shall have him torn to pieces!"

Galfore sighed. "Highness, with all due respect, yes Shadarias is a traitor. And he is not the only one close to you who has betrayed you. However just as it is hard to accept –" He stopped, feeling it unwise to mention Tamaran's other princess by name "the first betrayal, it is hard to accept this one. I would not worry however; even if Shadarias were bold enough to betray you so openly, which I feel he is not, Koriand'r is more than enough to defeat any scheme he could hatch between now and the time they arrive. And once he is here, I feel we should trust this Bruce Wayne of Earth; for I see a great warrior in his heart and I saw trust for him in Master Robin's eyes. Fear not, for my heart tells me all shall be resolved in the end."

Galfore turned to go, and he was almost away when the King spoke one final time. "Indeed, all shall be resolved. But how many, and who, must die before that resolution comes?"

Galfore shook his head. "Must any die?"

The King turned around with a weak smile. "Old friend, we both know that rarely is there true need for someone to die; however often people believe they must; and when one thinks that their death must come, it usual does."

Galfore sighed. "Reality is a cruel thing sire. However hope must not be lost. Koriand'r has always been . . . naive in matters such as these, so hope has come easy to her. However her hope has always given me the strength to find my own. Please keep that in mind, your majesty."

Both the King and Galfore seemed to fall silent after this; apparently at a mutual understanding that words were no longer a necessity.

**

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Back aboard the ship, the group was still gathered in the CommSphere room. Thought in all honesty the day had gone by much quicker than they'd realized, and most of them were ready to retire to bed. Talking was a thing of the past and they all merely sat there; occasionally yawning, but mostly each deep in thought. Even Beast Boy seemed unable to make noise.

"I don't think it was Shady who let the shoe-worms on the ship." Robin said at last, breaking the silence.

Everyone turned to him, and they all had questions. Of course, Robin was ahead of them and already supplying the correct, and very disturbing answers. "Starfire told me that shoe-worms are normally small. These were bred especially for the purpose of killing people, and probably trained too from the way I've seen them strike. Now if Shady trained them, I'm sure they wouldn't attack him – but I just can't see Shady as the type who'd have the time, patience or bravery to train a ship full of ten-foot killer snakes. And if Shady didn't train them and bring them, we need to find out who did, and what else they could have brought on board."

No one seemed able to disagree. Raven did find something to say, though. Something so grim it would have taken either Raven or Batman to give it words; though everyone had already realized it. "And more important, we need to find out whether or not they're _still_ on board."

**

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**

Time had passed since her final creepy comment to the group, and the Titans had drifted apart to work on their own things, leaving Raven in the most ironic place of all. Not physically; there was nothing ironic about her sitting at the counter in the dining hall they'd all ate in that first night, staring down at the goblet in front of her. It was merely the fact that she was sitting in a dark room all alone – and she would have given anything for some company.

Raven, whose alone time on this trip was anything but up to her usual requirements, was now desperate for company. The reasons weren't important; merely the ironic fact itself. She would have been happy to have almost anyone in the world walk through that door. Robin, Starfire, even –

"Oh, sorry Rae, didn't see you there." Beast Boy's voice broke her concentration just as his name was about to cross her mind; which only proved how hard the ironic factor of life was working tonight. She could heard Beast Boy backing towards the door and decided to speak up.

"Actually I'm in the mood for company."

She tried not to imagine how his face looked after this announcement. Instead she continued to stare at the reflected of her own as it rippled across the glassy surface of the goblet set before her; still full and untouched. From the sounds of his feet cautiously approaching her, and finally the sound of a second barstool being scooted over she knew Beast Boy was now at her side.

"Are you sure? I mean, you're acting kinda weird. I mean, weird for you. I mean, not that _you're_ weird, but you're not being normal so –"

"Incase you didn't notice, we've all been a little out-of-the-normal lately; and we haven't even landed on Tamaran yet." Raven said with a small, sarcastic grin.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Beast Boy replied, very relieved she wasn't mad at him and deciding he'd better just snicker and move on; which he did. "Say, how long are we going to be on Tamaran before Robin and Starfire do these trials anyway?"

Raven allowed her eyes to wander around the cup for a minute while she tried to remember if anyone had mentioned that. Finally she shook her head. "I'm not sure. I've had a lot on my mind and really can't remember if Shady said or not; not that I'd trust a word he says anyway."

Beast Boy shook his head. "I can't blame you there. That Shady is trouble; I wish I'd known though, I could have helped you guys check him out."

Raven's eyes stayed on the cup, but one of the brows did a definite raise upward. "No offense but you would have just –"

"Been in the way." Beast Boy finished for her. "Yeah, yeah, I know I would have; but honestly Raven, you gotta admit, I'm _can_ be helpful sometimes."

Suddenly something stirred in Raven, and for a moment Beast Boy was afraid he'd become too irritating for her. However he quickly realized that wasn't the case. She had finally adverted her face away from the goblet and was now staring directly at him; her eyes were tired but they were filled with a lot of emotions; annoyance not being one of them.

"You're being more helpful than you know right now."

Beast Boy blinked. First once, then a second time; and then he asked her the obvious question. "I am?"

Raven nodded. "You're distracting me from . . . what I was thinking about." It was clear the distraction had ended, because Raven now turned her eyes back to the Goblet and closed them; but this time Beast Boy wasn't going to let that happen and he quickly, and rather boldly considering he was dealing with Raven, grabbed her by the chin and forced her to look at him again.

"Then keep thinking about me. If you don't like thinking about it, why do you?"

Raven looked up at him and began to do something she couldn't explain, even if she'd tried too. Her eyes were wide and she was being completely honest with him; something that was both shocking and scaring her on some levels and, in some way, comforting her on another. "Because I can't stop. He won't let me stop."

Beast Boy, in the automatic response that only Beast Boy could have given, replied; "Who? You're dad? I mean, stupid question, I shouldn't have, I'm sorry –"

Raven however merely shook her head. She wasn't sure which of them this gesture surprised more, and she didn't care either. "Don't worry about it. I'm already thinking about Trigon the Terrible, not mentioning him won't make him go away."

And that is when it happened. That was the moment in time when Beast Boy did something that undoubtedly changed many lives forever. After using his lip as a chew toy for a moment, he stood up and looked Raven directly in the eyes and spoke in the most serious voice he could muster. "No, but I will. Let me in there Raven, I'll show him a thing or two."

However Beast Boy's most serious was nothing compared to Raven's; which was exactly what she'd become the second he finished that statement. "Don't joke about that. It's not funny."

"I'm _not_ joking Raven." Beast Boy replied, the unwavering earnestness still burning in his voice; and actually becoming stronger. "I know he's a demon, and I know he could kill me and stuff; but if I can't force him to do it with my muscles I'll just annoy him until he gives in. The point is I'll make him stop."

"The point is he'd peel the flesh off your bones; before he kills you." Raven responded; and while it sounded that way, she wasn't being sarcastic.

Beast Boy shook his head once more, though, and then he looked up at her with a new emotion in his eyes. Raven had seen Beast Boy look at her like that before, though never when he was being this solemn.

"So? I'd be dying for you." He finally said.

"I'm not worth dying for." She responded instantly.

This time it was Beast Boy who lacked any hesitation in a response. "Yes you are. Raven, I'm the biggest slacker in the world, the goofiest guy you could ever hope to meet; but I am serious about my friends and I'd die for any of you guys without thinking twice."

Raven became very quiet at this. And her eyes took a sudden interest in her lap, rather than his face. Finally, in a soft, shy voice she spoke once again. "Are you sure about that? Because you _can't_ say that; not to me, not unless you're completely doubt free."

Beast Boy however was doubt free. He didn't wait for her to return her gaze to him to respond, instead he said instantly in a soft, but unmistakably sober voice; "The fact that it's you I'm saying it to is what makes me so sure."

And then Raven realized what was about to happen. There was time in this revelation for her to stop herself from doing it, of course; but instead she decided to warn him about it. "This is going to be awkward."

And that was that. Her lips were pressed firmly against his, he was freaking out, as she'd known he would. That was the problem with split-second first-kisses; they always tended to be unexpected. Not that the kiss lasted long enough for him to freak out too much; she pulled away, replacing the hold her lips had just had on his with a long finger and a shushing sound. "Shhh. I know. Don't speak."

Technically Beast Boy obeyed her, because the incoherent dribble coming out of his mouth could not be considered speaking by anyone outside of a loony bin. However he knew what she had meant; and he'd disobeyed. Not only did words come out of his mouth, but also they were loud, jumbled and confusing. "Dude, we just, you just, and we, and kissing, and you had your, and my lips, and we – " At this point Beast Boy's mouth became encased in an band of black light that worked much like elastic – as it had several times before in recent days.

Beast Boy grabbed the rubber band like energy field on his mouth and began frantically trying to pull it off. As he did Raven leaned in tiredly and spoke to him. "Let's just agree to talk about this in the morning." There was a small note of amusement in her voice, mixed with an unmistakable mixture of tiredness and confusion.

And then Raven started towards the door. Beast Boy let his arms drop to his sides as he fumed in anger and followed her with his eyes. Until he noticed something move in the shadows. Beast Boy watched in horror for a moment as that something was revealed to be a shoe-worm, and it began doing exactly what shoe-worms do best.

And Beast Boy did what he did best; became loud again. He grabbed the band of energy and began pulling, twisting and prodding it every way he could to try to break it. At the same time he was screaming as loud as he could; which made nothing more than a slight muffled sound; but it was enough.

Raven stopped walking. This time there was no amusement in her voice as she spoke, without turning around. The tired tone was still there, but the rest had been replaced with her most dangerous emotion – anger. "Seriously Beast Boy, I need some thinking time on all of this. We'll talk about this _tomorrow_."

Beast Boy stopped struggling with the band and concentrated all of his strength into one last scream. And this time it was loud enough, after the muffle, to cause Raven to turn around. This was also the exact moment that the shoe-worm had reared back and launched itself towards Raven like a giant pink bullet. Raven's eyes flash with black light and the shoe-worm was stopped in mid air – it's long fangs only centimeters from Raven's face.

"Whoa." This was all the demi-demon could manage to say. Beast Boy sighed through his nose in relief; and then fell backwards off his barstool. As for the shoe-worm; it was still suspended in mid air.

Raven quickly came to her senses, though. She narrowed her eyes and the ten-foot pink nightmare was crushed into a tiny splotch of color no bigger than a bag of tea. Then she made her way to Beast Boy's side in all haste and released him from his own magical mend in a less violent way. Beast Boy looked up at her from the ground, honestly looking almost as bad as the snake. Raven extended a hand to him.

"On second thought, leaving you here alone might not be a good idea. Walk me to my room?"

Beast Boy didn't say a word; he merely took her hand and pulled himself back to his feet. And they made it out of the kitchen, down the hallway, and all the way to Raven's bedroom door without another incident – although neither of them seemed to notice the fact that they were still holding hands.

"I am going in my room, and you're not coming with me, so how about letting me have my hand back now?" Raven commented finally as they reached the door.

"Umm Raven, I already let go." Beast Boy whispered; and it was true. His hand was lax in her grip; which was tighter than it needed to be.

"Right. Well that's not awkward." Her usual sarcasm couldn't spare even herself, and she quickly dropped his hand after that. "Goodnight Beast Boy. And just for the record, if the next words out of your mouth aren't 'Goodnight Raven' I _will_ hurt you."

Beast Boy wasn't sure if she was kidding or not, although he was pretty sure it was the former. "Goodnight Rae." He decided on, which seemed to be close enough because she disappeared through her door and closed it behind her.

Inside the room Raven had indeed plopped down on the bed. She sighed, knowing that she now had a hellova lot more to think about than she wanted to admit to herself – but on the plus side she was so tired that she doubted even Trigon could keep her awake tonight.

Outside the door Beast Boy listened for a moment until he heard the sounds of a door locking and someone plopping down on a bed, and then he backed up and leaned against the opposite wall.

"Oh yeah, I'm a total stud." He laughed to himself before turning around and making his way to his own room.

**

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**A/N**: You know the weird thing; this chapter was original supposed to include at least two more scenes. However I feel it's long enough, and I also know I'm much too tired to type anymore tonight; so those scenes will have to wait for chapter five. And please review, if you have the time. They honestly do help inspire me to write more of the story; and plus they make me feel good. Physical Therapy tomorrow, so I doubt the next update will be then; but it is coming soon.

I leave you in peace; hopefully you took some enjoyment out of this chapter.  
- Brandon Rice


	5. Joker's Big Plan, Shady's Last Stand

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Five**

"**Joker's Big Plan, Shady's Last Stand"**

**A/N**: Firstly, a huge thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter. It is very encouraging getting so many and I send you all my best.

One quick note, Doug Miller's side-story will probably be over by either chapter six or seven. There are two reasons for this. One; it'll give me more time to focus on the actual plot of the story; and Two; Personally, I think it's just gone on long enough, and I've found a good way to end it; so I'm going too. If you were enjoying the side-story, I apologize. If you were annoyed by it; then good news for you I guess.

Now on with the regularly scheduled fanfiction already in progress.

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Boom. Boom Boom. Boom Boom Boom.

As the sounds of a raging road song played over the undeniably cool speakers of the T-Car, the T-Car flew over the road – literally, Doug had taken that last bump so fast he was in the air – and soared down onto the pavement with a slight skid, a loud noise, and one hyperactive thirteen year old behind the wheel.

It hadn't been long since Red X had helped Doug take the care out, and at the time Doug had been iffy. He'd been iffy on trust X, and even iffier on leaving the super-thief alone at Titan's Tower; but not anymore. "Born to be Wild" was playing at full blast, he was tearing up the streets despite the fact he was still two-and-a-half years away from his license, and nobody had really gotten hurt by any of it – so how could he worry?

Well, if he started to think about it he could worry quite a bit. His mother would kill him if she knew what he was doing, that was for sure. Red X would probably make a mess of the tower and more than likely he'd go through the Titan's bedrooms (something Doug had been much too scared to do – Beast Boy had told him stories about Raven's room and; well to make it short he was much too terrified to go in there.); but that was okay. Robin was a good guy, and Doug still had a whole month to clean up.

Besides, he wasn't worried. It'd all work out. What could possibly happen?

"Cyborg, you need some refueling' sugar." A smooth female voice suddenly spoke, which caused Doug to squeak and look at the dash. It was just another of Cyborg's little additions; rather than blink a annoying light whenever the T-Car was getting near empty, it simply told him it needed gas. The sexy female voice's purpose should be obvious.

"Out of gas? Uh oh." Doug swallowed. He'd not counted on this. He needed to find a gas station and find one fast. If the T-Car broke down in the middle of town then he'd – Oh, there was one.

Doug's panic was cut short. He'd just noticed where he was. He was in quieter part of town, close to the shopping district but with the bay (and the Tower) still visible. A small blue and white gas station was located right at the corner, and Doug was able to pull up to the single pump without any incident; he even lined up the car right. It made him proud.

Unfortunately for Doug, that was the end of his good luck – and the start of a disaster.

As is the case with some Gas Stations, Doug found himself forced to pay before he could pump. A simple concept done to prevent cheapskates from driving away without forking over the dough. Doug had the cash in his pocket (being a paperboy wasn't a high paying job, but he had enough) and now he was on his way inside the Convenient Store to pay for the gas; and probably buy a snickers bar.

However as Doug entered the store, six pairs of eyes watched him. And once the door had closed, the conversation began.

"Did you just see some kid pull up in the Titan's van?" Mammoth asked as a smile began to creep around his face. The oversized and under experienced villain was squatting on the curbside across the street from the gas station, his head being used as an armrest by Jinx, who was the next to speak.

"I sure did, and it gives me a fabulous idea." The pale, purple-haired bad girl was flicking her tongue over her lips in anticipation of the impending fun. Her body was leaned over to her right on her "armrest", while her right leg was kicked back behind her left.

"No way are we stealing that car." Gizmo interrupted immediately. "Been there, done that, not happening." The third and final member of the trio was sitting at Jinx's left. His jetpack was on his back, although he'd added a small stool to it and was currently using it, along with the spider-arm feature, as a chair of sorts. Gizmo looked up at Jinx as if to argue, but she was still grinning.

"Who'd want to steal that piece of junk anyway? You'd have to be a real loser to be caught driving that nightmare."

Gizmo growled in frustration and Jinx laughed. At that moment the bell on the door chimed and Doug returned from paying, mouth now crammed full of snickers. The youngster made his way over to the pump and began his task at hand, which caused Jinx to stand up straight and begin wiggling her fingers in anticipation.

"You see Gizmo, my bald little man; I have a much better plan than stealing the car."

"Oh really." Gizmo spat back. "Well enlighten us oh queen of good plans."

"See that man smoking the cigarette?" Jinx asked, pointing one of her purple-painted fingernails at an older gentleman in a suit and tie who was lighting his cigarette as he walked in Doug's direction. "He really shouldn't smoke at a gas station. God only knows what could happen with a little _bad luck_."

In a flash the knowledge of what could happen with bad luck suddenly extended to more than just God. Jinx's waves shot out across the street and hit the ground beneath Doug head on; which caused Doug to squeak and fall backwards. As he did he threw the gas hose out of his hand, and it flew directly into the smoking man's chest. The man fell backwards and landed on his rump; unharmed. However his cigarette and the still-pumping gas hose weren't as lucky. They both landed on the ground a few feet between the car and the actual pump – and then there was an explosion.

It was like a scene from a movie. The gas hose hit the ground, still dripping its liquids; and the cigarette landed in the puddle. Dancing yellow tongues of flame shot up and began to travel down the length of the rubbery tube faster than any human eye could have kept up with – and then they arrived inside the pump and the rest is painfully obvious.

People screamed, the cigarette's previous owner had to roll out of the way to avoid being crushed by the roof that had once stood strong over the pump and was now crumbling and falling to the ground. Flames were soaring in the sky over the sight of the blast and black smoke billowed into the air right alongside; alerting everyone that there were some seriously harmful things going on right now. Inside the convenient store the owner was frantically trying to decide whether he should call the police or fire department first.

And poor Doug Miller was standing in front of the T-Car, looking at it all with shock, awe and horror. He'd only wanted to buy gas – and now he'd blown up a gas station. Well, no more! Doug wasn't going to stand back and watch his mistakes, of which he knew he'd made many, cost someone's life. He may not be a real superhero, but he was going to stop this fire right here and now!

Doug reached down to the utility belt he'd been wearing since snatching it from Robin's room, extracted a long golden disc and then hurled it at the blaze. While the boy's precision was way off, it had been so Frisbee like that he'd managed to hit the target – and that caused enough of an effect for the flames to be frozen in solid ice and the crises to be stopped.

Doug blinked twice and looked up in disbelief. He'd done it. He'd stopped the fire and no one had gotten hurt. His shock was minimal next to the shock of the Hive Trio, though, who were now staring across the street in disbelief. Some kid had stopped them? Sure, they weren't the best villains in the world – but they could beat a snot-nosed brat playing dress-up, right?

"Man, that's embarrassing." Mammoth sighed. "Beaten by some kid, how low have we fallen on the food chain?" The redhead's disappointment was quickly pushed back by Jinx's fury.

"We're not beaten yet! I'm not letting a half-pint make me look like a wash up! C'mon, we're going over there and we're going to blow up that van _and_ that kid!"

Gizmo and Mammoth exchanged worried glances. On the one hand, they were worried about what would happen if they went over there, since this kid was obviously connected to the Titan's and finding him dead wouldn't bode well for them; but on the other neither of them wanted to second-guess Jinx when she was in this kind of mood and of course, cowardice in the present prevailed over worry in the future.

"I can't believe I did it." Doug was now whispering to himself as he sank down into the seat of the T-Car. He'd actually cleaned up his own mistake for a change and it was a good feeling. Not that his fun time was going to last.

"Howdy kid." Jinx's voice floated over to him, and Doug looked up. And then he gulped as he recognized who they were. For he knew. He'd seen them on the news – and the obsession with the Titan's also came with an obsession with their enemies. And now Doug was really worried; because he didn't think he could fight three supervillians, even if it was just these three.

"I'm a Titan, and the others are on their way right now so you'd better –"

"Save it snot-sucker." Gizmo cut Doug off instantly. "If the Titan's were coming, they'd be here by now. And you're no Titan, either."

"I am too!" Doug insisted in his lie. "And you're going to be sorry, the three of you. I'm stronger than I look."

It was Mammoth's turn to speak, and to flex his muscles. He grinned as he did so too in order to add to the threat of impending demise that was now growing in Doug's mind. "Funny thing, so am I, isn't that a funny thing kid?"

Doug gulped again. This was it. The Hive Kids had obviously been responsible for the explosion, and now they were going to kill him. Unless some miracle came. Red X could always rush in a save him – but he doubted it. And Doug knew the Titans were a mere dream at this point. Still, he'd be happy to see someone, anyone –

"Excuse us." A man's voice fluttered over the shoulders of the Hive Children and broke Doug's thinking session short. "Mind if I ask a few quick questions?"

The Hive Children apparently lost interest in Doug, because they all turned around and left him alone in the T-Car. Jinx and Gizmo both reacted the same way when they turned to see the owner of the voice – their eyes widened in something that could only be called respectful awe, and their voices seemed to die. Mammoth however was already speaking before he'd finished turning, and he'd already crossed a deadly line.

"You've got some nerve interrupting us right now –" This was point when Mammoth's eyes connected on the interruption, and his eyes widened too. Not just in respectful awe, but also in silent horror as the barrel of a large revolver was pressed against his temple.

As for the speaker; he was a legend, pure and simple. Everything from the top of his green hair to the tips of his sleek black shoes was infamous for being a ruthless criminal who never stopped stealing, never stopped killing and never stopped smiling. His gloves were chalk-white; and so was his skin. His nose was pointed as was his chin. His suit was a light lavender color, while the undershirt was orange; a green plastic flower was tucked into one side of the jacket and the tie in the middle was black with green stripes down the side.

"I don't like this one Harley; he makes me want to frown." The Joker said at length to his companion, who still stood behind him.

The companion was Harley Quinn, and as she usually was she wore a skintight suit of red and black checkers, the hat of a court jester that was made in the same style; and her skin was just as white as her bosses; though it was only make-up for her and not the result of a chemical accident. She may not have the same appearance or reputation as the Clown Prince of Crime; but she was every last bit as insane and as her partner pressed the long revolver into Mammoth's head, she merely yawned. "There, there Mr. J; we don't need them all. Why don't you just shoot him?"

The Joker shook his head. "No, I'll be nice and let him answer the questions before I decide if I'm going to do that."

Doug was watching all of this, and now the real gravity of his situation had sunk in. He wasn't a superhero, no matter how much he wished he was. And no amount of stuff was going to change that. And if he didn't start thinking like a scared kid instead of a wannabe hero, he was going to miss his chance to escape. Well, Doug Miller didn't want to die – that was for sure. So he took that chance. Hoping that the Joker and the Hive Kids would distract each other, he crawled forward in the seat as quickly and quietly as he dared. When none of them seemed to notice he slipped back into the drivers chair and put his finger on the X-shaped makeshift key that stood in the ignition.

Well, it was now or never. Doug's only chance to save his life. Gathering his last ounce of bravery, Doug turned that makeshift key and slammed his foot down hard on the gas. There was a screech of the tires and a roar of the engine and the T-Car jumped forward. Doug wasted no time in twisting the wheel and making a sharp turn.

As the car suddenly sprang into the life, the Hive Children were suddenly thrown into confusion. They had each been _leaning_ on the car, and while Jinx and Gizmo had escaped unharmed, the still stunned Mammoth had fallen backwards and landed hard on the pavement. Now Jinx and Gizmo were at his side, trying to get him up; while Harley was trying to figure out what was happening. The Joker however was perfectly aware of it all. He didn't the cause; maybe because he _was_ one of the most deadly criminals ever, or perhaps it was just a side-effect of being totally insane; but for some reason he'd focused directly on the T-car and was now aiming his revolver at it.

Back in the car Doug thought he'd made it. He was almost up the street and in the confusion behind him - before that thought was ever finished, a gunshot rang out and the window to his left exploded into pieces. Doug screamed; all pride and "heroics" forgotten. A second shot whizzed by his ear and shattered the front window; which sent glass spraying everywhere. Doug crouched down and floored it even faster; speeding towards Titan's Tower and possible safety as fast as he could.

At the gas station the Joker was fuming with anger. This kid had just made a fool of him? Not likely. "Get up Harley! You three idiots too! We're going to follow that kid and then we're going to kill him!"

It was not a request, and they all knew it. The Joker was already running back towards his own purple van, which was fully stocked and loaded with all his toys since he hadn't had a chance to commit any crimes since he and Harley had "released themselves" from prison. That of course was why they were here in Jump City, so far from their normal hunting grounds.

And really, what would you do? If you were the Joker and discovered that you're longtime arch-nemesis had left Gotham? He and Harley had followed Batman here, but had been slowed down along the way and arrived too late to catch his departure to Tamaran. When Doug had been busy escaping, Joker had been busy learning the location of Titan's Tower from the Hive Kids, and deciding that he'd check for the Bat there.

And now Doug Miller was speeding back to the tower, his confidence shattered, his skin cut by all the stray glass, and a van full of supervillians nipping at his heels.

And back at the Tower, Red X was still having his own fun; blissfully unaware of the hurricane that was about to hit him and the building he was in.

Because Doug Miller's adventure was almost over. Titan's Tower would be the place it ended, for better or for worse. And only one thing was for absolute certain.

The Titan's were _not_ going to be happy when they got back.

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Raven's eyes opened and as world around her came into a sleepy focus, her mind was clear and free of everything. Free from the constant nagging worry of the darkness lurking inside her, free of the fleeting moments of happiness that she had the tendency to cling too; and most importantly, free from memories of last night. However as it always did, this freedom came to and ending much too quickly as the post-sleep fog dispersed and it all returned in a wave.

Raven sat up in bed and yawned, leaning back on her shoulders. Her mind may be awake, but her body was not. And as she tilted her neck from side to side and worked out the kinks from sleeping in one spot the entire night, her brain began to replay her encounter with Beast Boy. She had told him they'd speak of the ordeal in the morning because she needed time to think; and now morning had come and she'd honestly not given the matter a single thought until now.

"Just great." Her sarcastic voice cracked to herself as she floated out of her bed, wrapped herself in her indigo cloak and hood, and made her way over to the mirror on the wall. She had slept well, her slumber undisturbed by the usual nightmares or by the kiss she'd shared with Garfield Logan a few hours ago. Brushing a strand of her lavender-shaded hair behind her ear, Raven sighed and decided she'd give thought to the matters of Beast Boy and last night _after_ breakfast.

However the second Raven opened her bedroom door she found herself, as she'd half-expected too, face to face with the short green titan and he was more than eager to chat from the looks of him. Beast Boy was literally bouncing up and down with some nervous excitement – actually he was like a small green Starfire.

"Please tell me you haven't been standing there all night." Raven said at once.

"Raven, I really need to talk to you." Beast Boy responded without a hitch.

"Yeah, we covered that last night; but can it wait until after Breakfast—"

"No!" Beast Boy shook his head. "I mean, no, this isn't about last night Raven. Remember those shoe-worms that Shady let on the ship?"

Raven's eyebrows rose a bit at this. Beast Boy _was_ serious, not as serious as he'd been when he'd volunteered to die for her for last night – but close enough so that it caught Raven's full and undivided attention. "Hard to forget about a ten-foot pink snake; especially when one nearly sticks it's fang through your eye." Raven replied, still sarcastic but obviously paying attention.

"I've been thinking about this a lot, and I don't think Shady let those worms in. I know, I know, he's a traitor and stuff, but why would he? I mean, if he's luring us into a trap on Tamaran; why would he kill us on the way their? Wouldn't that just make him look bad when he arrived with a ship full of dead bodies? And if he was going to kill us, why use those worms? How does he know they won't just decide to eat him too?"

Suddenly, to Raven's horror, she figured it all it out. The shoe-worms, Shady, Beast Boy's idea – when added up and analyzed it could only mean one thing. She made quick work to grab Beast Boy's hand and float the two of them down the hallways and into the kitchen as fast as she could – her eyes now darting around every shadowy corner of the ship for any sign of her new reality.

Once they burst into the kitchen they found, much to Raven's relief, the others were busy at breakfast. All of them stopped eating and turned their attention to her however, as was to be expected. She released Beast Boy's hand and stepped forward to make the horrific announcement. "We're not alone on this ship."

"What do you mean?" Robin asked at once, now every bit as grave as serious as Raven. Everyone at the table was tensed up in their own usual routines, save Batman who had leaned back and looked rather calm about the entire thing – though from his eyes it was clear he was studying the two teens.

"It's the shoe-worms; I don't think Shady was the one who let them in." Raven explained.

Robin quickly shook his head. "No, it had to be him Raven. We talked to Star's parents; they checked the ship for shoe-worms themselves just before they let Shady on. He's the only person who could have done it."

Raven paused for a moment, in hesitation. She slowly turned back to Beast Boy, her mind racing for answers. She was still doubt free. Robin may make more sense; but she was right about this. She turned back to Robin and spoke in a grim voice. "That proves it then. We're not alone on this ship. Shady didn't let the worms on, and they weren't already here. And like you said, no one but Shady could have had access to the ship – unless they were already aboard. Robin, someone snuck onto this ship when it was still on Tamaran. I don't know how they got past the King and Queen; but someone did. Someone who wants all of us and Shady dead."

"Wait a second." Cyborg interrupted, waving his hands. "How do we know Shady didn't do it? I mean, he is the traitor, so why –"

It was Beast Boy who answered this one. "Because dude, he's a total coward. If he released those shoe-worms, they could have killed him too."

There was a long pause after this. Everyone seemed to be thinking about it. Trying to decipher what this meant. Shady was undoubtedly guilty – however it was becoming clear that while he may want the Titan's dead, he didn't want them dead _yet_. Raven's theory about someone else on the ship seemed to be golden. Finally the silence was broken by Batman, who spoke in a voice almost as grim as the one Raven had used to announce this latest twist.

"Then the only question left is _who_ did release them; and are they still here?"

"Oh that doesn't matter anymore mate." A new voice had suddenly joined the fray – and new figure had suddenly appeared at the entrance to the kitchen. It was Shadarias himself this time, dressed the same as always; though his face was crestfallen and his eyes wore a strange emotion. It was a nameless thing, somewhere between pity and despair. The kind of emotion one finds in the eyes of a solider that'd been to war one too many times and wasn't planning on going again. "None of it matters; my treachery, you're knowledge of it, the Trails; all of it's mute."

Robin was out of his seat in a flash, bo-staff extended and anger pumping through his face. The rest of the group followed right at his heels. "Shady, explain yourself; now!"

Shady grinned once again; this time the grin of a man who'd reached the end. "I just told you kiddo, its mute. I'm done. Don't you get that? It's over. Do you know how many people I've double-crossed? I've forgotten myself actually. There's the all of you, Starfire's parents, that bloody Slade back on Earth, Trigon the Terrible; and that's only the ones involved in _this_ incident. So I'm done with it all."

Robin was shaking, trying to steady his voice and control his anger at the same time. Shady had put him, his friends, and Starfire through hell on this trip – and now he had the nerve to think he could just end it? "And what? We're supposed to just sit back and let you walk away from all of this?"

Shady's face changed into a dark smile, as if he'd been hoping someone would ask him that. "I never said anything about walking away, mate. I was thinking more along the lines of setting off the bomb I had installed in the engine room and just blowing us all straight to hell; SOUNDS LIKE FUN, DON'T IT BUGGER?" As his temper exploded Shady tore his arm out of the pocket of the trenchcoat he always wore to reveal a metallic cylinder clenched in his fist. At the top was the familiar red button that undoubtedly made it a detonator.

Everyone took a collective step backwards, and many held their breath in anticipation. Shady was serious about this, and they had to stop him. However it seemed everyone was frozen waiting for the other side to make the first move. In reality it all took a matter of seconds; but it seemed an eternity before Batman finally leapt forward, calling out Robin by name as he did so.

It was something the two of them had done before; many years ago in Gotham. The scenario was very different; but the outcome the same. Batman flashed a lightning quick hand over his belt and let a bat-a-rang fly from his wrist as hastily as possible. The bat-shaped, razor-sharp flying disc hurled through the air much too quickly for someone as far gone as the suicidal Shadarias to see or stop; and it did its job. Shady's wrist was neatly severed in two, and his oddly-colored hand and the detonator inside it fell away from the rest of him.

Around the same time that Shady began to scream and cradle the remaining portion of his hand, Robin had moved into place and collected caught the detonator before it could hit the ground and go off. Everything moved so fast that no one could have seen it all; but they were all aware of it. Robin stood up and turned to the others, breathing slightly heavy but holding the detonator up in triumph.

"That brings back memories." Batman announced as he took in the situation, realized the danger had passed, and smirked to his former apprentice. Robin returned the grin weakly, although he wasn't quite as amused as Bruce. Then again Bruce's shirt wasn't covered in alien blood either.

"Yeah, you two reminisce, I'm gonna go check out this engine room bomb Shady mentioned." Cyborg announced both in humor and in full serious swing. However before he could take a step; Raven blocked his path.

"Bad idea. You're the undisputed pro with our technology, but when it comes to Tamaran's you're still a rookie." The goth told him with a perfectly straight face. Cyborg was annoyed by the brutal honesty – but it was just that. He nodded his head and returned his attention to the group.

"We can contact the King and Queen later." Batman stated in his attention-grabbing voice; the same one he'd used at dinner and on the Communication Sphere before. "Right now let's keep our focus on _him_."

All eyes that had been turned away from the floor now returned to it. And they all noticed the same changes. Shadarias was no long lying on the cold floor, crying and clinging to the bloody remains of his hand. Now the alien was sitting against the wall, and he no longer seemed bothered by the loss of his limb – which bothered everyone else.

"I wouldn't worry about the bomb in the engine room mate." Shady announced as his grin spread onto his face. "You know me; I've always got a back up plan. And not all bombs need a detonator to blow. Ten, nine, eight -."

Shadarias, still counting and grinning like the madman he truly was, flicked his brown trenchcoat open. Beneath the coat was a black belt fastened to his chest; and fixed to that was a cold, metallic timer that could only be a second bomb. A small black window and red digital numbers were counting down in sync with Shadarias; who had now reached "six, five, four -."

There was no hesitation left; and no time for mistakes. Raven locked her eyes directly on the annoying alien and they flashed with the usual black lights as she shouted "Azarath Metreon Zinthos!" as loud as her lungs would let her. Black light engulfed her hands and confined Shady and his bomb inside a large bubble; and just in time too. The bomb had gone off and it was bigger than any of them had expected.

If someone had thought Shady was kidding about taking them all down, he hadn't been. The explosive was a powerful matter disrupter that completely destroyed any atoms it could touch; or in laymen's terms it turned everything into nothing in seconds flat. Raven wasn't aware of this fact; and she didn't care anyway. She was having enough of a time just trying to contain it; adding trying to figure out what it was to the mix would've just been cruel.

Finally however Raven was able to summon up the rest of her strength. The blast was diminishing and she used every ounce of energy she could afford to spend in the last push. The black bubble around the blast became smaller and smaller until finally the entire thing disappeared with a pop. Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief; and a moment later Raven's leg gave way and she fell backwards. Luckily for her Beast Boy had been behind her – and somehow he'd managed to pay attention to catch her.

Everyone from the Starfire, who'd been wide eyed and clutching onto Robin's shoulder the entire time; to Batman who'd been more frightened in the last few minutes than he had in years – was out of breath and they seemed to reach an unspoken agreement that words could wait a few minutes. Raven was the worst off of anyone and seemed to be struggling not only to catch her breathe, but to stay awake.

"So. . ." Beast Boy finally broke the silence after what seemed like an eternity. "What does this mean?"

"Nothing." Robin replied at once, turning his eyes to the group which had now turned their eyes on him. "It means we know a little more about who Shady was working for; but in all honesty nothing has changed. We're still on our way to Tamaran and we still don't know if we're alone on the ship or not. Now isn't the time to lose our edge."

"Robin?" Starfire asked her voice full of hopeful optimism. "Though I am horrified by his betrayal, and by his manner of ending of his life; I must ask, does Shady's death mean the trails are no longer a trap?"

Robin sighed. He knew the answer to that, but he didn't want to destroy the hope Starfire had built up. The Trails had meant so much to her throughout all of this, but with each passing moment and each new revelation it seemed like they only become more and more hazardous not only for the two lovers; but for their loved ones as well. "I don't know Starfire. But there's something else bothering me. When Shady was talking about all of his bosses . . ." Robin trailed off; but Raven, as tired as she was, picked up without missing a beat; though she made no attempt to leave Beast Boy's arms.

"He mentioned working for both Trigon and Slade; and flat out told us they're both involved in this somehow. Yeah, sucks don't it? Lose Shady, gain Slade and Trigon. We really scored on this deal."

Raven's strength seemed to fade again and she let her head lean backwards into Beast Boy's chest. She'd already been irritated with her father for the most recent of his attempts to invade her mind; but now that she knew he was connected to Shady somehow it only furthered her aggravation towards him.

"This thing's out of control." Robin sighed to himself, shaking his head and leaning into Starfire's shoulder. She made quick work to wrap him in a comforting and surprisingly gentle one-armed hug when he did so.

"It's not all bad news." Batman announced. "With Shady gone I can attach my Batcave Uplink to his computer and access all of his information; which may provide some answers to our latest questions."

"You sure you can hack the Tamaranian technology?" Cyborg asks, although what he was really asking was 'Can I watch you hack the Tamaranian technology'.

"I could hack Lex Luthor's computer if I had the time." Batman responded with a half-sarcastic, half-serious grin. "And I'd welcome the help." He added as an afterthought, which caused Cyborg to grin a genuine smile at least.

"There's still someone else on board the ship; or at least there was." Robin hated being the one to remind them of what they'd been discussing before Shady's suicide, but it seemed like he had too.

"Then let's just get this over with now." Batman replied to his former apprentice. "We'll split up and search this ship from top to bottom in teams of three. Robin, Starfire and I can take the front; Raven, Beast Boy and Cyborg can handle the back. We'll be so methodical and so surgical that if there is anything on this craft besides us – shoe-worm or something worse – we'll find them. And after that I think we should all get some rest; I hate to remind you, but we're not even on Tamaran yet."

They were all tired, drained physically and mentally. They'd just seen a strange alien kill himself and attempt to do the same to all of them. Raven was on the brink of passing out and would have much rather skipped the methodical search and gone straight to the rest. However they all knew wisdom when they heard it; and the idea of being able to rest until they reached Tamaran was too good to pass up.

So no one disagreed. The final search of the ship was about to begin.

This suited the assassin hiding on board just fine. He was getting tired of sneaking around anyway.

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**A/N**: Well, that's it. Longest chapter yet; over 6000 words including title and notes.  
Chapter seven's outline is already underway, I have access to the computer all day, and nothing better to do; so an update in the near future is a good possibility. As always reviews will make me smile, thank you for reading, and I'll see you soon.

Brandon Rice


	6. The Assassin Strikes And The Curtain Fal...

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Six**

"**The Assassin Strikes and the Curtain Falls"**

**A/N**: Firstly, I can't begin to thank everyone who reviewed enough. My goal was to get at least twenty-five in the first five chapters, and I wound up getting more. That makes me feel more accomplished than I can even begin to describe.

On another note, I have new, much stricter grammar-check on my Microsoft Word; so there should be far-fewer errors grammatically. That is assuming that it works.  
Also, sorry for the delay in updating! I had this chapter done on the twenty-eighth, but I've been using my computer time to help mom with her business the last couple days. The work sucks, but I'm getting paid.  
Okay, I'll shut up and let you read now.

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The mood aboard the spaceship was at an all time-low; and that was rather understandable given the circumstances of their flight. In reality it hadn't been very long since they'd left earth; merely a single night's travel. However with everything from constant shoe-worm attacks, odd radio transmissions, and the entire ordeal with Shady from their initial investigation to his eventual suicide; no one could blame the Teen Titans for being worn to their limit. However, the task at hand was probably the single most important one they had undertaken since the beginning, and now was when they needed to be at the top of their game.

Raven was still the worst off; and no one could blame her. No one, save Beast Boy, knew the entire story. The combination of her father's relentless recent attempts on her mind, the kiss in the kitchen, and the final showdown with Shadarias was enough to bring anyone to a breaking point – and Raven hovered dangerously close to that breaking point most days anyway. Regardless of all of that she was still trudging along, walking ahead of Cyborg and Beast Boy as they continued their task.

It had been almost an hour since Batman's plan had been formed and agreed upon and progress was moving at an acceptable pace. In truth everyone wished it was going faster, but even in their own separate and worn down conditions they all knew it best not to rush through something so important. Knowing for sure who or what else was aboard this ship could not wait – and complaining wouldn't change that.

Out of all the rooms, passages and corridors on their end of the ship; only three remained. A fact that wasn't wasted the group. They knew the others had found no one or contact would have been made; and assuming they were having progress at around the same pace it meant that something would happen soon. Either the idea that someone else had been aboard would turn out to be false; which they all hoped for but privately doubted. Or the other option – they'd find whomever it was that let the shoe-worms in and they'd fight them. Well, there always existed a chance they could avoid a conflict; but none of them could remember the last time that had happened.

Beast Boy was on edge through the whole thing. Instead of his normally casual, laid-back stride whenever he walked down a hallway; he was moving at a slow and cautious pace. His eyes moved to the walls and shadows and various hiding places from time to time; but it wasn't the possibility of another assassin that had him bothered right now. Between Raven's telepathy and Cyborg's technology he was sure they'd pick up any kind of booby-trap or life form they could encounter well before it became a serious danger. His main concern was the lavender-haired young woman who'd recently caused him so much joy and even more confusion.

What were they, anyway? They had kissed before in the kitchen and by _Raven's_ choice no less. However due to the obvious circumstances they'd found no time to talk about what impact this had on their relationship. Beast Boy knew it would have a dramatic change – and he also knew what he hoped that change would be. Did a single night of bold confessions; crazy promises and a short but genuine kiss make them a couple? Were they the next "Starfire and Robin" in progress? Beast Boy grinned at himself; no, no matter what he doubted any romance between himself and Raven would be anything close to what was going on with Robin and Starfire. The boy wonder and the girl from Tamaran were both very open about their feelings – whether they realized it or not – and Beast Boy doubted he and Raven would ever be like that. '_That isn't exactly a bad thing_.' Beast Boy thought to himself. '_Then nosy people won't be in our business all the time like I am with Star and Robin._'

However their newfound relationship, whatever it may actually be, was not as much of a secret as they both thought. Cyborg's mind had been focused on the task at hand in the beginning – his eyes constantly checking the scanner and his hand ready to become a powerful cannon and blast away at a moment's need – but not anymore. The hints were subtle, but he'd caught them. It came from working with machines – you had to follow a blueprint when you built something. And you had to pay attention to every detail on that blueprint. Even a single missed screw or a mistake as simple as misreading a step on the paper could cause you to have to start over again. This gave him and edge in catching the small stuff.

Cyborg had already suspected for a long time that his best bud had a thing for Raven. The events with Melchior, and the time Beast Boy's "inner beast" had been unleashed had provided Cyborg ample opportunity to realize his buddy had a crush on their gothic roommate. And there had been a few – far less in this case, but still enough – tiny signs that she could have the potential to one day develop something for him. However he had never before now seriously considered the idea of Beast Boy and Raven. Who would? Most of their time spent together ended with Raven leaving the room annoyed, and Beast Boy sticking out his tongue after her. Now however he was sure that something had happened between them, and it was preoccupying his mind a lot more than he would have liked given their situation.

At first it was just more of the small things. He'd been the only one to notice Raven and Beast Boy holding hands when they'd burst into the kitchen to make their announcement just before Shady's big scene. And while everyone had seen Raven collapse into Beast Boy's arms, not everyone seemed to notice the comforted look that flash across her face when he caught her. Maybe it was just the fact that she didn't end up on the floor – but the way she looked up at him when she'd tilted her head back; it just gave Cyborg a funny feeling that there had been something he missed. And while one could argue that this was neither the time nor place to bring such things up – Cyborg would have argued right back that it was the perfect time. Raven was dead tired, Beast Boy was distracted, and Cyborg was spending more time thinking about them than he was scanning for would-be assassins. Distraction was deadly in the superhero business.

Finally after sweeping another room and coming up just as empty as before, and then proceeding down the hallway a tad further they reached their destination; the final room. All of the hallways, nooks, shadowy-places and rooms on their side of the ship had been checked and cleared. If there were an assassin on the rear of the spacecraft; they'd find him or her behind this next-door. Raven decided now was a good time to check in on the others and she pressed the communication device encased inside the red pendant of her cloak.

"Robin? You there?" Her voice seemed normal although there was a definite lethargic undertone.

A pause followed the call and for a moment Raven began to doubt whether or not he'd return it. She was relieved when his voice finally did answer. He sounded slightly out of breath but otherwise the same as always.

"Sorry we ran into a few leftover shoe-worms. Yeah, what's up Raven?"

"We found some of those too a while back, but other than that nothing. And we're outside the last door now; what about you guys?" Raven responded.

Robin's voice returned quickly. "Besides the shoe-worms, nothing. No sign of anyone else. We've still got a few places to check though."

"Well, we're going to wrap up here and then we'll join you." Raven announced.

"Right. Be careful." Robin's reply was short; the sound of a door opening followed and Raven realized it was because he'd just entered a new room and new danger.

"You too. Out." Raven responded as she clicked off the radio line. Once she'd finished she turned around to the boys behind her; who'd so far been very good at leaving her alone through this latest event.

"Well, guess this is it." Beast Boy's voice seemed a little nervous. "What happens if we don't find anyone?"

"I'd be more worried about what happens if we do, if I were you." Raven joked weakly; and Beast Boy grinned at her. This however was too much for Cyborg, who could no longer hold his tongue.

"Alright, I don't know what's going on between you two but I can't hold it in any longer. You've been acting weirder than usual around each other, so what's the deal?"

Raven and Beast Boy exchanged quick glances before turning their heads to Cyborg, who was watching them with a mixture of amusement, confusion and impatience. He really had noticed the change quicker than either of them had expected. They probably could have put off telling him – unfortunately they both answered his question at once with different answers.

"What the heck are you talking about dude?"  
"We kissed in the kitchen and we're just as confused about it as you; can we get back to the assassin hunt now?"

Raven and Beast Boy both turned to one another; Raven looking tired and annoyed while Beast Boy seemed flabbergasted that she'd so willing and openly admitted all of that. However no one's shock compared to Cyborg's. His human eye was as wide as it could be, and his mouth had curved into a large open smile, and all thoughts of would-be killers vanished from his mind.

"You two? Kissed? Oh man, I knew this was going to happen one of these days! Ha! BB you old stud!" Cyborg playfully jabbed his buddy in the ribs with his robotic elbow, which caused Beast Boy to stumble backwards a bit from surprise.

"Yeah, yeah, we're all happy about it; can we get back to hunting the assassin now?" Raven's sarcasm was thinner than usual; but lurking just beneath the fatigue and sarcastic wit was a deep annoyance at all of this – and irritation often led to anger. Beast Boy and Cyborg were two of only a few people to every actually see the world inside Raven's mind. They'd met her emotions once. They'd seen first hand what anger could cause her to do – both in and out of her mind.

"Yeah, okay Rae. But I want details later." Cyborg agreed, not bothering to wipe the oversized grin off his face.

That seemed to satisfy Raven. She turned on her heels and continued floating towards the end of the hallway and the final unchecked room. As she did Cyborg began to whisper to Beast Boy; though they both followed along as quickly as they dare for fear of risking Raven's wrath. "Dude, it's pretty obvious whose in charge of you're relationship, isn't it?" Cyborg grinned and held back laughter at his joke.

"Yeah, well at least I got a kiss. All I've seen you get since we got on this ship was a chance to _watch_ Batman hack into somebody's computer."

"Ouch, good one BB." Cyborg had to admit, that one had stung his pride a little. Still they were only joking around in good fun. "You know B, I may only have a computer; but a computer never says no when you try to use the keyboard."

The two of them quickly turned their heads away from each other for fear that they'd begin laughing. They were teenage superheroes; but they were also teenage boys and that meant things like this were going to happen and no one, not even the incredibly tired Raven and the possibility of her loosing her temper, could completely stamp that out.

"I _can_ still hear you." Raven's voice suddenly announced as they arrived at the final door.

"Sorry Raven." They echoed in unison.

Raven turned back to them. "Okay, this is the last door. Same plan as before; I'll circle the room on the left, Cyborg you take the right and Beast Boy you watch the door. If you see, sense or scan _anything_ besides the three of us in that room; make sure we all know."

"Not a problem Rae." Cyborg said, already itching to use both his arm scanner and the attached cannon if the need presented itself.

"Why do I always have to guard the door?" Beast Boy asked, though he knew the answer.

"Because you're the only one who can become a three-hundred-pound grizzly bear and block the doorway completely. Because you're nose isn't as accurate as my telepathy or Cyborg's scanners. And because I said so." Raven responded, half kidding and half deadly serious.

"Okay." Beast Boy replied trying his best not to show his annoyance or disappoint that he was on guard duty again.

However before they could enter the room, Robin was back on the communicator. "Raven we're outside our last door now. So far we haven't found anything but leftover shoe-worms. What about on your end?"

Raven pressed the respond button and spoke quickly. "Pretty much the same. We're outside our last room too."

"If there is someone else on the ship one of us is about to find them." Robin noted, pointing out the obvious with a grim edge to his voice.

"And whoever does may need help. We should leave this channel open just in case." The Goth concluded wisely.

"Right. We're going in."

"Us too."

There was nothing else that needed to be said. On the other end of the radio the sounds of Robin, Starfire and Batman bursting through their door could be heard. At this time, though, that was not Raven's concern. Instead she narrowed her eyes and blasted the door before her own group clear off its hinges and into the middle of the room. When nothing came rushing out into view, she slowly led the way inside.

Raven began to focus her mind on the room around her. Every shadowy-corner, every nook and cranny, every closet, heating vent and everywhere else that something or someone could be hiding in. She moved slowly around the left side of the room, staying with her back to the wall and her feet levitating off the ground a few inches. Cyborg had already entered the room; his robotic eye was moving around the room while its human equivalent was focused on the scanner on his wrist.

"Something's in this room besides the three of us." Cyborg announced. "But I can't get a lock on where."

"Yeah, I can sense a life form too." Raven responded. "Try to pinpoint it, Beast Boy –"

"I know." Beast Boy sighed in irritation. He stepped into the doorway and then quickly went from short green superhero to seven foot North American grizzly bear. With his new claws, brute strength and powerful teeth in place Beast Boy settled himself down in the doorway; the sheer size of his new animal form made getting in or out of the room impossible without taking him down. He did have the easiest part of this job – waiting for the others to find the villain. However the fact that both his best friend and his romantic interest were putting themselves in real danger was not wasted on him and that made waiting a real hassle.

None of them spoke. Cyborg's computer screen was showing signs of life, but it would still take another minute and a half, according to his systems, to pinpoint exactly where. Raven wasn't having much luck either; being so tired made locating things in such a tiny radius extremely difficult if she couldn't actually see them. Beast Boy was sniffing the air; but it wasn't doing much more than causing his nose to itch.

"Rae." Cyborg suddenly whispered, breaking the silence but not by much. Raven darted her eyes to meet his, and when his human eye moved to the right she followed it. Both of them returned their focus to their own ways of checking. And both of them reached the same conclusion – be it the ability to sense his presence or simply seeing the blinking white dot on flash on the green scanner - it was now clear that they were not alone in this room. The assassin was hiding inside a large metallic closet near the farthest wall. From the way the Titan's were facing each other this meant their target was on Cyborg's right and Raven's left.

"One." Raven whispered so quietly it would have taken Cyborg's technological side to hear her.

"Two." Cyborg responded right on cue, though he doubted Raven heard him at all.

Three never came. The closet doors burst open and the assassin proved that he was doing more than just hiding. He'd been formulating a cold and calculating strategy for taking down the Titans. Cyborg and Raven both spun around on their heels as fast as they could; a blast from an arm cannon flashed into the villain's vacated hiding spot and destroyed it. Nonetheless it was too late. The assassin had the upper hand.

The assassin himself was moving too fast to be seen very well but there wasn't much to see anyway. His was very tall, very thin, and completely sleek. His body didn't seem to follow nature's rules on how a living body should be. He had one head, two arms and two legs just like a humanoid – however that was as far as it went. His entire body seemed to be made of some kind of glassy, smooth, black substance that was like nothing the Titans had ever seen on earth. His face looked like a human's; except that it looked like someone had pulled a mask over it as tightly as possible and only the outlines of a nose and mouth could be seen through it. Though it was no mask. His eyes were pure white slits with no pupils and they were very thin. In his hands he clutched a pair of slender white daggers that looked sharp enough to slice through skin or metal like a knife through butter.

In the few seconds since he'd narrowly escaped from the closet the assassin had already closed the gap between himself and his attackers. With a flick of his wrist he sliced one of his daggers across Cyborg's arm and chest sending the Titan stumbling backwards. A second blast from the cannon that had been on the verge of being fired at the fiend went instead into the ceiling above and caused a thunderous explosion. It was a good thing Raven and Robin had concluded to leave the radios on because no one would have had time to call for backup otherwise – and backup was certainly needed.

As quickly as he'd disabled Cyborg the assassin was after Raven. The battle was still proceeding too quickly for her and she had barley gotten the first syllable of "Azarath" out of her mouth when the glassy-villain was upon her. Unlike his assault on Cyborg the fiend disabled Raven by kicking his knee directly into the center of her chest and sending her slamming into the metal haul of the ship and eventually to the floor in a painful thud.

Cyborg tried to return to his feet but the unnaturally quick enemy had foreseen this and hastily abandoned the fallen Raven to instead bring the back of his ankle down against the back of Cyborg's neck. With a painful cry, the robotic Titan was down for the count. He'd rise again of course; but not in time for this battle. And Raven's combination of extreme drowsiness and the beating she'd just received ensured that this fight had ended for her.

The assassin now turned his attention on the only thing left in his way. Beast Boy knew he needed to stay in the doorway. He knew that no matter what, no matter what this guy did to him, he had to stay blocking the only exit. However he had just seen his best friend and the woman he was currently infatuated with be beaten to the ground – and he didn't give a damn about what he _needed_ to do. Instead he roared and charged slashing the long claws of his bear form at the assassin.

And while the kind of anger and intensity that was built up inside him was a powerful ally in a battle against an enemy who was far stronger under normal circumstances; it wasn't enough this time. Before Beast Boy could bring his massive arms down in what would have been a crushing blow; the assassin leapt forward and jump kicked him straight in his gut. Beast Boy learned an invaluable lesson then that stayed with him. Just because someone is smaller than you and looks like they're made of glass, doesn't mean they can't still bring you down.

Beast Boy stumbled backwards his face contorted in pain. He was fighting for Cyborg and Raven – as well as himself and everyone else on the ship – and he wasn't going to be a pushover. That was his determination. Yet the assassin didn't let up; before the bear could even open his eyes and recover from the pain the glassy fiend did a back-flip, connected his foot with Beast Boy's chin in mid-air and landed gracefully on his feet just in time to watch Beast Boy fall backwards and revert to his true form; now sprawled out on the floor completely unconscious.

And the entire battle had lasted no more than a minute and a half.

The assassin ran to the door and leapt over the body of defeated Beast Boy but as he did he found his path cut off by another pair of annoyances; Batman and Robin. All three narrowed their eyes and that was the only pause before the combat resumed.

The Dark Knight and the Teen Titan's Leader ran forward in perfect unison, and they threw their own respected boomerangs at the fiend. However the enemy proved that he was every bit as dangerous as the dynamic duo and cut both the bird-a-rang and the bat-a-rang clear in two with one swing of his ivory knives. That was followed immediately by pushing weight down on his feet and launching himself forward like a spring. Batman flattened himself out against one wall while Robin ducked down. Robin had made the better choice it seemed. The knife aimed for the boy wonder went sailing through his hair; while the one meant for his mentor sailed gracefully across his chest.

Batman dropped to his knees and clutched a hand across the wound, applying pressure; he'd received enough hits like that to know the wound hadn't gone deep enough to actually open his chest but the blood loss could cause him unconsciousness if not stopped right away.

The assassin had not wasted a second longer on the fallen Titans and he seemed to feel that his escape was assured. The three inside the room were beaten far too badly to resume this battle and the two he'd just dealt with were behind him so far they'd never catch up. However he was unaware of what was in front of him.

The sound of things whirling through the air brought the assassins attention to his front but for once his speed wasn't enough. Starbolts smashed the ground around him in every direction exploding on the floor, walls and ceiling above. He was quick enough to dodge each one that tried to singe his own body but everything around him was quickly becoming engulfed in the searing flames of multiple explosions. It was impossible for someone, even someone as quick as the assassin to avoid it completely. Starfire hadn't stopped since she saw the fiend appear; Robin's radio had triumphed over the assassin's legs.

And when Starfire finally did stop hurling the bolts, the entire hallway before her was consumed in one raging cloud of smoke, debris and flames. And the furiously fast-paced fighting ended briefly for the cloud to disperse. When it did the assassin was still on his feet – though no longer at full strength. His shoulders were hunched and though there was still no visible mouth, the sounds of heavy breathing were as unmistakable as the many singe marks and scratches that had collected over his once flawless body. The ivory daggers were now singed black and covered in soot, though still in place and ready to draw further life-blood from whomever their master dictated was next.

Starfire floating on one side of the hallway, her eyes filled with a rage that burnt like emerald flames while the assassin was standing his ground on the other waiting for a chance to unleash his own anger on the floating princess.

And then there was a noise.

The assassin heard it first but he couldn't react in his usual grace. Robin had been on his way and now he'd arrived using the bo-staff as a prop he'd launched himself forward and smashed his foot into the assassin's back square between his shoulder blades.

The assassin was sent forward and Robin didn't need to shout her name for Starfire to know it was her turn; although he did anyway. The Tamaranian princess flew upward and then hurtled herself like a living bullet into the assassin's back fist-first with every ounce of strength she had. Needless to say the assassin had lost his edge; in fact he was now down and out. Starfire flew back quickly and her hands and eyes filled with the familiar green glow. Robin held his staff at the ready and was cautious in approaching the fallen fiend. However the assassin didn't even attempt to move again, the only sign that he'd even survived was the sound of his raspy deep breathes.

The sound of hurried footsteps was heard once again, and the young lovers who truly were the center of this entire mess turned with all haste to see their friends on the way. Batman was leading the group; the bleeding now stopped and one of his bat-a-rangs poised and ready in his hand. Behind him was Cyborg who'd recovered at last and looked disappointed when he realized the fight was over; payback having clearly been on his mind. Beast Boy was last, this time in the form of a large green tiger with Raven riding on his back. She was too tired to walk but her commitment had given her the strength to ride on the other Titan and keep her eyes and hands glowing with black light.

"We caught our assassin." Robin announced as the group arrived, and each of them relaxed their weapons and breathed sighs of relief. Raven's hands and eyes reverted to normal and she allowed herself to collapse down on Beast Boy's back. Cyborg leaned against a nearby wall now interested in inspecting the damage to his body and praying he'd find what he needed on Tamaran to repair the injury. Batman too took to supporting his weight against the side of the ship as he began to inspect his injury in greater detail to see just how much this fight was going to cost him.

"That is not all we have just done!" Starfire suddenly squeaked up excitedly.

"Yeah, we _finally_ cleared this ship. Now maybe we can get some rest before we arrive on Tamaran." Raven mumbled sleepily.

"But Raven." Starfire said as she turned to the others grinning as broadly as she possibly could and shaking with excitement as she'd been known to do. "We _have_ arrived on Tamaran! Look!"

And they all did look; Starfire's fingertip made a direct line out one of the spaceport windows on the wall and straight at a planet in the distance that was closing in fast. She was right they'd be in Tamaran's orbit in mere minutes and they'd be landing soon after that.

The journey had been hard and seemed to have lasted a lifetime. Traitors and assassin had been revealed and defeated. And many had made romantic confessions. Yes a lot had happened since the night they'd been woken up by the strange alien and boarded the stranger spacecraft.

And they were only just now arriving on Tamaran. It had to be good news. They were planning on a trip of about one month, all together including the trials and the return home. And after all of this, it seemed impossible that anything else could go wrong.

That was not the case of course. Shady's bosses – Slade and Trigon especially – were not the type to give up so easily when they had goals in mind; many hard learned lessons made that clear. And this assassin was working for someone as well; they'd have to find out if he'd been sent by one of Shady's employers or a new unseen face in all of this. The Trails of Love still stood towering over it all, their original reason for all of this - with the age-old threat of the sheer unknown clinging to everything like a black cloud.

No, the end of the trip to Tamaran did indeed signal the falling of a curtain – the end of Act One.

And in most cases the stage had three acts. A first act that was usually used to introduce the important characters, a second that was usually when things reached the darkest and most dangerous, and a third where it all came to and end. And none of the Titans denied the feeling of being mere actors on a stage; however it did raise an important question.

Shakespeare was said to have believed that all plays end, essentially, in one of two ways. Happy or Sad. Comedy or Tragedy. Which raised an important question; when the final curtain does fall what kind of performance will this turn out to be?

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**A/N**: I do hope everyone enjoyed reading this chapter, I know I had a lot of fun writing it. Reviews are the life-blood that keeps this story alive. Also, if you think you've seen the best this story has to offer; think again. Because once the Titan's arrive on Tamaran the possibilities of different situations they can be in are going to practically triple.Act Two's starting, and as the songs says "_You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet._"

**Peace,  
Brandon Rice (Golden-Sama)**


	7. Doug's Adventure Ends, Life On Tamaran B...

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Seven**

"**Doug's Adventure Ends, Life On Tamaran Begins"**

**A/N**: First of all, thank you all for your feedback as always. It's a great encouragement and it keeps the story going. Today I have to address a few questions **Brogramn** asks me in his last review. Well, I don't _have_ too; but I'm going too. –Snickers- Firstly dude, don't sweat the not reviewing each chapter. I know I'm a little over-obsessed with asking for reviews, and in all honesty I feel lucky anytime gives me even one. The mere fact that you have left two different reviews is a wonderful feeling on it's own.

Anyway, onto the questions before these notes get too long.

My preference on battles? I'm a big fan of oriental combat too. Not in all cases, but in the majority of them. As for weapons, I like edged-weapon battles. Swords, Knives, Daggers; pointy things that require close-quarters combat.

Anyway, onto the show!

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Doug Miller had long since lost track of time. He was unaware of the fact that the Titan's had left well over twenty-four hours ago, and that right now they were in the middle of a life-or-death struggle against a powerful assassin. He didn't know if Red X would be willing to help him in his current situation; of if the master thief was even still present at Titan's Tower. His mind was in a state of confusion, trying to think of a million things at once and being unable to focus on a single one of them. Really, when broken down, Doug knew only two things for sure. One, he was in a stolen superhero car being chased by one of the most infamous criminal masterminds of all time. And the second, his best – and probably only – chance for survival was getting to Titan's Tower.

The purple van that contained the Clown Prince of Crime, his equally notorious assistant and on-again off-again romantic interest Harley Quinn; and the three-person villain team still referred to as "The Hive Kids" despite the fall of Brother Blood's academy, was nowhere to be seen on Doug's mirrors.

That didn't mean they weren't still behind him. It was always possible that Doug had lost them, or that they had given up. Still, when you have someone like the Joker vowing to kill you chances aren't something you take very often. Add being a panicked thirteen-year-old who finally realized he was in way over his head to the mix; and you have a receipt for nothing short of one big disaster.

However, much to Doug's still-holding luck, the purple van did not catch up with him. He was able to speed across the bridge and back into the garage of the T-shaped superhero home without as much as a single bullet being fired, or any sighting of his enemies. This would have worried someone like Robin; who knew that the Joker didn't just give up. Any real superhero would have gladly faced the overwhelming odds rather than take the chance that the villains would stay in the city and wreck havoc on innocent people or the police; neither of whom had even the slightest chance. Doug realized this too; and that's when he knew he was not now, or ever would be, a Teen Titan. He would never join the Justice League or form one of his own. He'd never have a cool name like "Batman", "Superman" or "Green Lantern" (although Doug had never thought being named after a colored lamp was that cool anyway). The point was he was mild-mannered paperboy Doug Miller; and he was finally okay with that.

He sat in the T-Car in the garage as this hit him so powerfully, and for a moment he ceased to worry. He merely dreamed of going back to his paper-route, collecting his weekly salary, sneaking off to the comic book shop for his fix, and then going home and having lunch in front of the TV with his mother. The dream was ended when Red X's voice awoke him.

"Back so soon kid? Hope you didn't cause too much trouble."

Doug snapped awake, and the memories came flooding back to him. Turning in the drivers seat he saw X at the side of the door, his expression hidden behind the mask but a definite questioning in his eyes. Doug however was not looking at the master thief. He was looking at what Red X represented; hope. Hope that he might just make it through this whole ordeal with his life. Hope that he might just be able to sit and watch TV with his mother again.

"I'm sorry! I'm no superhero, I never was! I shouldn't have ever snuck inside and I shouldn't have let you inside and I shouldn't have let you hijack the car for me, but now I need help! We've gotta fix this mess!"

Red X seemed amused in his reply. "I figured you'd make a mess. What happened, you smash into a stop sign or something?"

Doug shook his head. "No, but I did blow up a gas station and now the Joker wants to shoot me."

There was a moment's silence following these words as Red X worked out what it all meant. It sounded more like sarcasm, but that didn't seem right. The kid had not been sarcastic before, and his eyes had a blend of hope of fear that can only be found in the eyes of someone serious. Which lead to a million questions ("You blew up a gas station?" "Joker? As in _the Joker_?") However, none of these questions would be asked or answered; at least not directly.

The silence that had been hanging over the Tower was broken. A whirling sound had reached the ears of both occupants of the garage, and it was coming closer. The entire process took only seconds and neither of them recognized what the sound was until the actual explosion. The entrance to the garage had closed automatically behind Doug when he had driven it; and now it exploded, shattering shards of metal and bursts of flames in every direction around the impact zone.

"See Harley, I told you keeping a rocket launcher under the seat was a good idea." Joker's insane laugh mixed with his words from the other side of the smoking garage door and as Red X heard them, he knew what was happening. Perhaps not the whole story, he still couldn't imagine how such a deadly supervillian had crossed paths with a joyriding paperboy – but he was sure it was all his fault.

He also knew what he was about to do, and he hated it.

"Kid, go upstairs, find a bedroom, and lock yourself inside." Red X ordered as he flicked his wrist across his belt and wound up holding a scarlet x-shaped throwing star between each of his fingers.

"W-What are you gonna do?" Doug asked, now frightened.

"Remind myself why I hate playing the hero."

As Doug followed these orders, and Red X began to implement a quickly made plan the villains had reached the door and were ready to head inside. Joker just had a few last things to prepare.

"Alright, has anyone ever been inside this dump before?" Joker asked the ring of wrongdoers that had gathered around him. Harley had brought a large military-type sack over and laid it on the ground in the middle of the five of them beforehand.

"We have." Jinx responded on behalf of the Hive Children, who had long ago kicked the Titan's out of their home and taken it over. However, their memories of the inner layout had all diminished since then.

"Good, then you can go first." Joker smiled at the children; it was not a request. The hive kids all began to move forward towards the hole in the garage, which had finally stopped smoking, when Joker stopped them again.

"We'll be in as soon as I get my gun ready, so I've got your back. Though if you screw this up like you did before I'll shoot you myself; okay?"

The inside of the garage was now completely still and very quiet. Aside from the vehicles, tools, and various projects, that Cyborg had been working on before he had left the only new additions were the hole in the door and the debris on the ground. However, as the hive children climbed their way inside things changed very quickly.

Jinx casts her eyes around the room. The Hive Kids were now moving into the garage and spreading out. She took the middle with Mammoth on her left and Gizmo on her right. They were still close enough together that they could be called a group, but each was beginning to wander away into the open. Jinx scanned all of the ground in front of her and swept the ceiling too. Nothing. No sign of anyone. A quick glance at either of her companions told her that they had seen no one either.

"Well?" The Joker was now in the garage, Harley at his side. The first noticeable difference was his appearance. An old army helmet, perhaps to join the other addition to his wardrobe, now covered his hair. A chain of heavy gold bullets was strung across his chest and shoulders like Rambo, and he held an AK-47 in his arms with an almost fatherly affection. It was still hard to tell just how seriously he was taking this 'Find-and-kill-the-kid' agenda; but it was easy to see that playtime was over. Harley was the same as she'd been in the car; aside from the fact she was now carrying the army surplus bag over her shoulder; the same army surplus bag that had contained the assault rifle, bullet belt and hat. Judging from the bulges still present in the sides of the bag, it still had some surprises left.

"Garage is clear." Jinx said, eyeing the Joker's new look and trying hard not to think about it. "He must be in the Tower."

"Probably hiding under the bed like a little coward." Mammoth laughed. "He knew I'd be coming for him and –"

"Shh." Joker suddenly silenced the younger criminal and listened. His face was blank – or at least as blank as he could physically make it – however that was mute. The grin was even wider than it's natural state after a few seconds of silence; the predator had found his prey.

At least that's what Joker thought.

The following happened so fast that no one really saw everything. It started with Joker spinning around and opening fire on the western edge of the room; which prompted Red X to move as fast as he could towards the east. X jumped, dodged, rolled and used the T-Car as cover during his trip to avoid being shot. Finally, the AK clicked and Joker let out a slew of cursing as he worked as fast as he could to reload; but he was too slow. X ran forward and flicked his wrist, sending his trademark explosive flying on a one-way trip directly into the bulging army surplus bag Harley was still holding.

"Mr. J! We've got a problem!" The she-clown screamed and Joker was forced to drop both his assault rifle and the new clip he'd almost finished loading in order to grab the bag and toss it out the hole he'd made earlier. Joker had not expected the bag to make it all the way into the backseat of his prized purple van; but it did, and the next explosion in the ever-growing series of them was the biggest yet.

"I really hope you remembered to pay your insurance." Red X's cutting sarcasm flowed like wine, and the Joker shook with fury. A moment later, the Joker had recollected his weapon and armed it; but X was already on his way out of the garage and into the rest of Titan's Tower. Instead of wasting ammo, the Joker let out his frustration by screamed loudly and slamming the butt of the Russian weapon on the ground.

"That was Red X!" Jinx announced. "Brother Blood offered him a scholarship to the academy but X turned him down. At least that was the rumor. Wonder what he's doing here?" There was a tone in Jinx's voice halfway between admiration and irritation.

"I don't care." Joker replied very slowly, trying to contain his mounting frustration. "All I know is that someone in a tattered cape with fancy gadgets just made me lose a very valuable van; and that's something I just _hate_. So I'm going to follow him now, and I'm going to kill him, that kid, and anybody else I feel like killing. Anybody object?"

Nobody would have argued with him, and if they had, they wouldn't have lived very long. So without another word the Joker ran after Red X and the others ran after the Joker.

Red X had now made it into the superhero's living room and he wasn't about to waste time. He'd gotten the upper hand before due to the element of surprise. However, without that as his edge he was unarmed, outgunned and in one of the worst situations he'd been in since he ceased to be just another thief and became the second person to wear his suit. Making sure he had his throwing-stars, the non-explosive kind this time, X wasted no time in finding and furnishing his new hiding place.

The Joker was the first one in the room and the first one back into the hallway. As soon as he'd seen the living quarters of the Titan's he knew round two was about to begin. Before the toxic accident that created the monster he was now, the Joker had been another kind of monster. A killer and one of the best Gotham had to offer. Leaning against the wall with the assault rifle still in his hand and the same bloodthirsty look leering out from behind the demented white face, he turned to Harley and the Kids and spoke.

"Alright, he's in there. So someone go in a lure him out."

Harley's pale face remained the same, although she clearly took a step to the side to indicate that she would not be that someone. Joker had been speaking to the HIVE Children indirectly anyway; but when your boss is the Joker it is best to just avoid chances no matter how slim they made be.

Without arguing Jinx, Mammoth and Gizmo made their way into the living room. Jinx in the middle, Gizmo at her right and Mammoth on the left; it was much the same as back in the garage. This difference was this time they split up completely and with added speed. Jinx was checking the yellow couch for hiding spots while Gizmo tore apart the kitchen area and Mammoth lifted the TV in a lame attempt to pretend as if he was doing anything more than watching his own back. They were separate enough that neither the hiding Red X or the impatient Joker could attack all of them at once; and none of them really had enough loyalty to care which one was attacked as long as it wasn't them.

Jinx was the least loyal of them all. If she had her way, she would be out of here and the Joker could eliminate Gizmo and Mammoth for all she cared. They were merely an inconvenient means to and end. Mammoth's ability to be stumped by even the simplest of tasks that required brains rather than bronze, and Gizmo's constant whining and lack of vision past "Let's build something that helps up steal stuff" – she didn't know who annoyed her worst. However, she was _not_ strong enough to make it on her own as a supervillian – yet – and she did not have an entire academy of students to choose from as allies anymore so it looked like she _would_ have to keep them alive too.

Gizmo's feelings were similar. He did not like the people he was with either; but he didn't want to be on his own as a supervillian. He wanted to have an army of followers – robotic followers. Robots always did what they were told, when they were told, and how they were told. Robots did not say "No". Robots did not have faults. Robots did not keep you up until five am snoring like Mammoth. Robots were perfect.

As for Mammoth, he was clueless.

However, the Hive Children's search of the living room would be a wasted effort. Red X was currently pressed against the side of the wall behind the staircase waiting for a chance to strike from this hallway. The truth was he was worried. This'd be the last stand and he was outmatched. The HIVE weren't a big concern, he'd handled all five Titan's alone and _they_ were much stronger in every respect. However add the Joker and Harley Quinn and you had one-against-five on a different scale.

"I have a plan." A tiny voice spoke softly. X's eyes shot to his right to see Doug Miller pressed against the other wall, a huge grin on his face and an old leather-bound book in his hands.

"You just don't give up, do you kid?" X smirked softly. They had to whisper to keep from being heard as the search of the room below them continued and the sounds of Joker's impatience grew more noticeable.

"I did just like you said X. I went into the first room I could find and I hid like a kid should; but then I found this."

Doug held up the aged book for inspection. Black, faded-and-torn and well worn by weather and age was an old leather-bound book with golden trim. Red X said the first thing that popped into his head.

"You were hiding in the Goth chick's room, weren't you Shorty?"

Doug nodded with a mischievous grin. "I'm not sure what it does, or if we can use it, or if we should even open it; but I know one way to find out."

"Hold on." X shook his head. "I have a plan."

Back inside the main room the Joker and his posse had gathered around in a semi-circle. None of them stood close enough together that a single attack could take them all out; yet they stayed near each other as well. The entire room had been searched and Joker had finally reached his breaking point.

"Alright Harley, time for plan B." He said in an irritated voice. Harley suddenly became very still and very nervous. She shifted the weight of her body onto one leg and began to rub the back of her neck; which caused Joker's right eyebrow to lift with a dangerous anticipation.

"Uh, Mr. J, the explosives are all gone. How can we do Plan B?"

Mammoth was the one who asked. "What's plan B?"

"Damn you people! My van's gone, my explosives are gone, I've been made to look like a fool by some idiot kid and then by this Red-Y freak, and now I can't even blow this Godforsaken tower into rubble and kill everything inside? Is there anything else I should know before I start shooting people?"

"Yeah, the name's Red X not Y; you smiling circus reject." Red X shouted as he leapt out from behind the stairs. The Joker raised his AK-47 and began to blast away, causing the HIVE Children to scream and run (he'd not given them time to move, but Jinx had been the only one in immediate danger and other than her hair she'd avoided the bullets) and causing Red X to dive to the side of stairs. A few bullets came close, some even sliced across his black suit and through the sides of the pale skin beneath; but he'd be okay. The important thing was he threw the book.

The book Doug had found soared straight at its target. Joker didn't even realize what it was, although he did shot it a few times. The bullets merely added to the damaged look and veer it slightly off course. It was too fast of a pace for the book to miss its target; which was Joker's forehead. The Clown Prince stumbled backwards for a minute and stopped shooting. He looked down at the floor where the book lay open on its spine and he began to laugh in his most insane laugh ever.

"A book? That's your big final attempt to beat me? Throwing a book at me? Oh thank you kids, I needed a good – _Dammit_."

The swearing had begun when the pages of the book started blowing without wind. The room was suddenly cut off from the light although the windows were still open and outside the sun still blazed with all its glory. Then the book itself floated into the air and turned upside down; the pages stopped flipping and from the direct center of the book a large black glob of liquid began to fall down like a giant raindrop; which began to take shape.

The shape was that of a young woman, and quickly what had looked like a black drop of rain had become an exact duplicate of Raven. The moment the Raven who'd just emerged from the book had finished forming, her eyes opened and she looked directly at the supervillians in front of her.

"I keep this book in my room. You opened this book. Therefore you are now, or have been in my room." 'Raven' spoke in a dangerous voice. "_No one should ever go in my room._ _And now you're going to see why._"

Back at the top of the stairs Doug and Red X had noticed the changes. The lack of lights, the loud creepy voice they could both place as Raven's, and the sudden ceasing of all wind in the tower. Now that changed. There was a sound like an explosion in the living room and then the sounds of the Joker, Harley and the HIVE Children screaming in terror. Wind was defiantly blowing once again and it sounded like thunder may be clashing too; however both of them had seen _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ one too many times and resisted the temptation to look.

Finally the sounds died down and the light and normal-breeze returned to the tower. Doug was petrified to see what state the living area was left in (he still hadn't forgotten the Titan's impending return; he'd just been preoccupied with saving his skin first) and Red X seemed hesitant to test his reflexes against the Russian-made machine gun.

"Well, ready to see if it worked?" X asked.

"Eh, it beats just sitting here I guess." Doug answered.

They stood, turned around and headed down the staircase; and they were surprised at how little had actually happened. "Raven" was gone and the book was lying on the coffee table closed. The windows were not shattered and aside from the five bodies on the ground the room actually looked exactly as it had before. Not just before the incident; but before Doug had entered the tower. Everything was spotlessly clean, unbroken and put away in its proper place. The only indication that anything had happened at all was the five unconscious supervillians who were lying on their backs with looks of sheer horror on their face.

"What happened?" Doug squealed. "It's like, everything worked out! Literally! The tower's fixed, the bad guys are stopped, it's like –""

"Shut up kid! Never question a good thing. Now I have a plan. You go home to your mother and watch TV. I'll take the supervillians, drop them off at the police station, and then go back to metropolis and reunite with a redheaded friend of mine. Sound good to you?"

Red X's plan sounded more than good to Doug; it sounded like a blessing sent straight from God himself. And that's exactly what they did.

Red X played the hero one last time, keeping his word on taking the villains to the cops despite his own outstanding warrants on his way out of the city. He didn't just walk up to the local PD; but he did wrap the gang of villains in one of the large red nets his suit could produce and drop the gaggle of bad guys off outside the police department. After that he headed towards Metropolis the fastest way possible; vowing that this time his vacation from Jump City would last a long, long time.

As for Doug Miller; well he had his grand adventure. In the end he had turned out to be a hero after all not because he had cool gadgets or a sweet-ride, but because he'd simply used a combination of common sense and luck. However that was the end of his superhero days. He went home, hugged his mother, and then asked her if they could watch _The Price Is Right_ together; which they did. He'd gotten to live his dream, only for a few hours, but that was enough. Now plain-old-paperboy Doug seemed pretty sweet.

Although he did save one bird-a-rang under his pillow; just in case.

Doug Miller may be back to his usual routine – but the Teen Titan's adventure was still far from over.

* * *

The entire group was gathered in the cockpit of the metallic starship. No one was really flying it; apparently it had been on autopilot for the entire trip and presumably it could land the same way; Cyborg was standing by though, just in case. The rest of the Titans were gathered in small groups throughout the room, each of them preoccupied with something but mainly watching as Tamaran came closer and closer with each passing moment.

Robin and Starfire stood shoulder to shoulder, both quiet as mice and both thinking of their futures that lay intertwined before them. Raven was leaning against the wall, Beast Boy hovering close to her. Raven was thinking about a lot of things, Beast Boy, Tamaran, Her Father – while Beast Boy in all honesty was just feeling grateful they'd be off this ship soon. Perhaps things would be less confusing on the ground – or maybe he just felt like a dog that'd been in a car too long. Batman was standing in the back, the assassin with him. The assassin was still on his knees and hadn't made any further escape attempts, but the Dark Knight had him tied with nearly unbreakable wire and was holding onto his arm as well.

And then the radio broke the silence. It wasn't the fancy swirling crystal ball of the other room; just a basic two-way, but it managed to get a jump out of nearly everyone just the same.

"Attention this is King Myand'r of Tamaran; no new problems I hope?" The King's voice floated into the room.

"Oh you've missed a lot, sir." Robin answered. "But we're all alive and well. Though I think I speak for everyone when I say you should prepare a very good jail and some even better beds."

There was a moment's silence and then Starfire's father returned once more. "Already finished lad. After Shadarias's betrayal I decided not to use the regular palace. You'll all be staying at the Royal Military Base. There's an entire palace in the middle with an entire second floor of nothing but bedrooms; and the finest interrogation and holding facility on the planet. The autopilot will take you straight in; I'll see you soon and if you'd like explanations can wait for the morning."

No one could argue there, and no one said anything more than "thank you" to Myand'r over the radio. So they relaxed once again, back to the way they had been. By now the ship had already entered the atmosphere of Starfire's home world and they'd begun their final approach. It was looking down that they saw the King had not exaggerated on this being the biggest military base on Tamaran.

The land around the base was barren and dry; a total desert and the result of a war. Many years ago the Prince's tent alone had survived during the power-struggle after he and his brothers went to combat, and the base had been built on the very spot where the tent once stood. Then came the outer wall – which was merely an enormous square wall made of stone and metal. The only entrance was the front gate, which had two small guard posts next to it. Four watchtowers were located on each of the corners and Robin could count at least four Tamaranian Soldiers patrolling back and forth on each side.

Inside is where it really got impressive. The dead center of the complex was a two-story palace; not the tallest of building but an impressive sight for anyone to behold and no one doubted its rich royal history. To the left of the palace's entrance was what looked like a large bunker – and in fact it was. The bunker housed all of the base's military personnel as well as the staff for the palace. On the right of the palace was a second building almost identical to the bunker; but rather than storing people it stored supplies. Food, vehicles and weaponry could all be found inside. Directly behind the palace was a long dome-shaped building. None of them (except Starfire who had been here before) knew it now, but that dome was a training center. Normally it was used by the military; but it would also serve as home to any physical training Robin and Starfire wanted before the Trails. The final building was to the right of the training center and it sat by itself, surrounded by its own fence – this one high security and filled with enough electricity to turn a human being into dust with just one touch. The building was an interrogation chamber for prisoners; and it would be home to the "glassy assassin", as the would-be killed was now being called.

The starship floated down gracefully past the base's security and landed just outside the palace without a hitch. The large metallic door slid open and the ram extended down on its own, stopping just at the feet of King Myand'r and Queen Luand'r. Quickly there were three Tamaranian Soldiers standing on either side of the ramp unarmed; but all of them squeezing their fist the way Starfire did when she was taking caution.

However, the military protocol ended the moment Starfire appeared at the top of the ramp. She took one look at her parents and launched herself at full speed with one of her trademark squeals into her father's arms. Robin had of course been beside her; but he wasn't complaining. In honesty he was curious to see if the King had the strength to survive one of Starfire's bone-breakers. She changed to her mother soon afterwards and that allowed the King time to wave down the soldiers beside the ramp (who seemed to vanish they left so fast) before he stepped up to the bottom to greet Robin and the rest of the Titan's, who had now appeared.

"It is good to meet you in person, Master Robin." The King said, extending his hand and keeping his voice somewhere between Royal Monarch and Girlfriend's-Dad.

Robin wasted no time in taking the hand and he tried his hardest to match the King's grip. He failed, of course, because Myand'r was even stronger than Starfire and no human could have met his might – but the King seemed please by the tired boy's effort and rewarded him with a smile.

Starfire didn't feel like waiting any longer to introduce her family to her friends, and so she pulled her mother over to each of them in turn and began speaking and moving so fast that no one even pretended to keep up – except the queen herself who was matching Starfire's every word with her equally fast-paced speech. The queen was also every bit as curious about new things as her daughter and inspected every aspect of the Titan's from tugging at Raven's cape to admiring Cyborg's arm-cannon.

Batman however was spared from any of this; he and the assassin still in his custody had maneuvered their way past everyone else and off to the right of the ship where they now stood with Galfore. An unspoken seed of respect had been planted during the CommSphere conversation and it seemed to be growing now that the two were together in person. Clearly they knew they had much in common; but for now their focus was on the killer.

"Do you know what he is?" Batman asked.

"Yes, he comes from a planet much like this one. They have a long history of war; but there is a Ninja's war and they fight it well. They are trained to eliminate as many enemies as they can and to take they always take their own lives rather than spend a moment in custody. My impression of those aboard the ship grows by leaps at this news."

Batman nodded. "It wasn't easy, but these things never are. You and I have a lot we need to discuss."

"I agree, however now is not the time. After this fiend had been locked away, and once the youngster are situated I shall meet you on the main security wall overlooking the front entrance."

"I'm looking forward to it." The Dark Knight responded. He released the assassin over to Galfore now, who quickly took to the skies with him and flew off in the direction of the interrogation compound. By the time Bruce had rejoined the group they were standing inside the main hallway of the palace; looking amazed.

The floors were made of a rich white marble, as were the pillars that supported the room. Only four hallways were visible in the entire first floor and the King was now explaining each of them. The one closest to the entrance on the right lead to the dining room, while the further hall on the right went to the kitchen. The close hall on the left was a direct line to a library and the further left hall was a lounge. The King must have decided to save the actual touring of those rooms for later; for he was now pointing out the twin staircases that could be found in the bottom right and top left corners of the room; and he was now leading them towards the closest of the two. The only hallway he'd failed to point out was the single hallway on the far wall; which lead to the Throne Room and Royal Bedroom; but none of them had any business or desire to be in there anyway.

The second floor was very different from the first; it was just a long square hallway. There was no middle; merely a giant gap that showed the floor they'd just left. Along the walls of the gap were a total of six bedrooms and two bathrooms. From the lower right-hand corner, where they were now, were three bedrooms with a bathroom in the upper corner. It was the opposite on the left side where the bedrooms began in the upper corner and the bath was on the lower side of the square. The King led each of them to their rooms as they passed. Walking upward from their current position they said goodbye to Batman first, then Starfire (she and Robin embraced and she hugged her parents too), and finally Beast Boy (he looked at Raven as if hopeful for a hug; and she narrowed her eyes in response.) They continued on, passed the bathroom and went left down the furthest hallway. Two smaller hallways went off of this one, and the King quickly explained that they were a green house and a armory; neither of which were really that important at this point. When they reached the corner they turned the hall once again and began dropping people off. This time Raven took the upper right-hand corner, Robin the middle and Cyborg the final room. The rooms had been prepared ahead of time; just like the ship – although it had been Galfore who'd done it and shoe-worms were not included.

And that was that. With everyone safe and in their bedrooms, the King and Queen retired to the throne room satisfied; Galfore headed off to prepare for his meeting with Bruce Wayne; and everything seemed to have gone right for once. Everyone had agreed on the need for sleep, so naturally they'd all be going straight to bed and sleeping; right?

Of course they wouldn't.

**A/N**: Well, that's it. Doug's adventure is official over and the Titan's have all arrived and been tucked into bed. They won't stay there long – in fact I'm planning a treat for the Beast Boy/Raven fans for the next chapter. Anyway, as always I'm going to do the review-begging thing now. Wait, I suppose I just did.

More coming soon!

**- Golden-Sama (Brandon Rice)**


	8. Happy Raven, Sneaky Slade

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Eight**

"**Happy Raven, Sneaky Slade"**

**A/N**: So sorry for the delay between chapters, hope no one minds too much. I liked the way this chapter turned out; and I'm curious to see how many of you do too, so I'll cut the notes off here rather than waste time with them.

Galfore's attempts to imitate the rooms of the Titan's weren't much better than Shady's, however it was comforting to Raven to know her current room was free of listening-devices and shoe-worms; though she had still made a quick check after she'd been dropped off. The room itself was exactly what she had expected it to be – fit for a queen and not at all her style. The bed was so large it took up the majority of floor-space, there were several blankets in fabrics ranging from the finest silk to the fluffiest cotton and the pillows were piled high. Of course, the "best" part of it all was the color.

"It just had to be pink." Raven's sarcasm was wasted since she was alone in her pink, frilly room, but it still showed up right on cue. As for the rest of the room, there was not much to say. The floors were the same marble as the rest of the Royal Palace, and other than a bookshelf that had been stocked with spellbooks (just as before Raven either already had these or had no interest in them) and a small nightstand that contained the Tamaranian version of a lamp; that was it. This was her home for the duration of the Trails and she had better get used to it.

Luckily, she was too tired to care. As long as Starfire did not come bursting through the door trying to force Raven into a fluffy Christmas sweater, and as long as something horrible and ugly didn't appear and try to kill her; she could sleep now. There was nothing left stopping her, nothing in the world could keep her off the horrible pink bed and prevent her from getting a much needed and well-deserved slumber.

Nothing, that is, except for a young man named Garfield Logan.

Raven's head was sunken down into the pillows, her eyes were shut and sleep was dissolving away the confusing mass of thoughts and emotions that made up her mind. She was on the verge, the edge, just about to cross the point-of-no-return and fully enter sleep when it happened. Something smacked into her door; something about the size of a tennis ball. That was followed by something much larger falling onto the ground with a thud, and that by the sounds of Beast Boy cursing and then trying to shut himself up.

Beast Boy was now sitting on the marble floors, rubbing his sore bum with one hand and covering his mouth with the other. He had only a second ago been a small green hummingbird, but he had miscalculated the distance between his room and Raven's and wound up unable to turn before smacking head-first into the door; which caused him to fall on the ground. It did not really matter though, since it looked like he would be just fine –

The door shot open and Raven appeared in it's wake. Her eyes were narrow slits and her mouth was currently supporting a thin smile. It was impossible to tell if this was sarcastic Raven or scary Raven; though Beast Boy knew he would find out soon enough. He looked up at her and chuckled nervously as he moved his hand from his rubbing his rear to rubbing the hairs on the back of his neck.

"Hiya Rae, can't sleep?"

"Not anymore." Raven replied swiftly. "Apparently I'm not the only one."

Beast Boy realized what she meant faster than he might have if he had been under less stressful circumstances, and quickly her gave another chuckle and responded. "Oh, me. Yeah, well I'm in the room next to Starfire and she's excited about the trails. I think she's talking to a stuffed animal or something; but who really knows with Starfire . . ."

"Beast Boy." Raven warned.

Beast Boy chuckled again, muttered a quick sorry and continued with his explanation. "So I decided to take a walk over to Cyborg's room and see if we could play video games."

"Uh-huh. What video games? We're on Tamaran." Raven's patience was wearing thin and Beast Boy's excuses were ever worsening.

With a sigh of defeat, Beast Boy dropped his arms to his side. "Okay, okay, I was coming to see you. It honestly was Starfire who kept me awake, but I left the room and came over here 'cause, well you know, all that stuff . . ."

"Good." Raven cut him off, allowing her eyes to un-narrow and the dangerous look to fade away; much like her chances of ever getting to sleep. "Believe it or not I'm starting to enjoy your company. _Sometimes_."

Beast Boy was saved and he let out a huge sigh and finally stood up so he and Raven were on eyelevel once more. He also allowed his own joke making to return to normal; although in honesty the joke he told was only half-kidding. "Does this mean I get another kiss?"

Raven narrowed her eyes. "You're pushing it."

Beast Boy laughed and Raven allowed her smile to become more obvious. It was nearly impossible to resist certain things when she was tired like this. She and Beast Boy never would have shared the mentioned kiss or anything else if she had been fully rested back on the ship. Not because she would not have been tempted too, she would have. Nevertheless, Raven knew herself; she would not have done it just because those were emotions she usually didn't show. It was funny to think of it, but so much had changed since Shady woke her up in the middle of the night a few days ago; and so far, the changes were mostly positive. It was almost enough to make her feel sorry for Shadarias; but trying to murder them all and then trying to kill them all off in his own suicide was still a bit much to forgive at this point.

"I really like you when you're like this Raven." Beast Boy's sudden voice broke her out of her mind once again.

"Like what?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"This. Sarcastic. Playful. Instead of all quiet and moody and alone."

Raven sighed once again, and this time it was a genuine sigh of depression. Not the depressed-goth-girl everyone saw when they looked at her; that was just suppressing her more dangerous emotions, not actual distress. However, her eyes filled with the genuine dejection that few people ever really feel. "I like me when I'm like this too."

"Then why—" Beast Boy began right on cue, but Raven was already prepared.

"You _know_ why, Gar." Raven responded, and there was no mistaking the grave severity in her voice or in her use of his real name. "You've been in my mind, you've met my emotions, you've seen what I can do; you're probably one of the few besides me who really does know why; so don't ask me that."

It was Beast Boy's turn to sigh and become serious. Serious was not his strong suit. He did not like being grim and he was not very good at it; it cramped his style and it reminded him of memories he would rather forget forever. Memories of his childhood living in Africa, memories of the parents he'd lost at a young age, memories of the disease and the treatment that had given him the abilities he had now, memories of Terra and Slade and the twisted web that had been woven between the three of them; Serious just was not him. He'd do it for Raven, though.

"I know why Rae. I know you have your reasons for doing things the way you do. I also know you're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for, Raven. I've seen you push yourself; I've seen you control things that you didn't think you could. And I know I'm here for you if you need me."

Beast Boy gently placed an arm around her, and she made no objection to it. In fact, Raven's next move was to close and open her eyes as she leaned against his body for support.

"Yeah, we covered most of that already. It's just . . ."

Raven stopped. She broke away from their brief embrace and instead took to leaning on the railing of the hallway balcony and staring off at the bedrooms across the way. Beast Boy approached and leaned the same way next to her, not bothering to look at her but staying close enough that she knew what he wanted to know.

"Just what Raven?"

"It's just . . . what happens when it's my turn to be there for you?" Raven asked quietly. It was out in the open now; the thing had been holding her back the most ever since their kitchen confrontation. Beast Boy and Raven were not fools; they could see how they felt about one another.

Beast Boy was not an idiot. His parents had been genetic engineers and while he was far from being a genius, he was not a fool. Now it all made sense. Everything clicked into place and he understood the real underlying problem. "Then you'll be there for me. It's simple Rae."

"No Beast Boy, it's _not_ simple." Raven snapped, now angry and looking at him with a mixture of intensive rage and deep sadness. "_Life _is not simple_, love _is not simpleand_ I_ am not simple! I might _not_ be there for you Beast Boy; I might not be able too. So don't tell me it's _simple_."

Beast Boy did not step back, not this time. His own fury bubbled forward. "But it is simple. I trust you Raven. I trust you with my life and with my heart; and _I'm_ not as trusting with either one as you might think, and to quote you, '_you know why_'. The only question is do you trust me?"

Raven stepped back. She returned to leaning over the railing, as quiet as a mouse and as thoughtful as a scholar. Her mind was quick at work, processing thoughts and emotions faster than any mere human, or in fact many computer systems, could have possible tried. Then she decided something she had been trying to decide for a while now.

"Yes, I do trust you Beast Boy. And . . . there's something else." Raven took a breath before she said it. "I want to try. Us. I want to try it. I can't and won't promise that it will be easy, or fun, or that we'll have any real future together at all; but I want to try it. I'm alone right now, and I'm tired of it. So I want to try being with you. And for the record, this isn't because you saved me from the shoe-worm, or because of what you said about my dad. This is because you honestly do make me happy – _sometimes_ – and I don't want to live my life knowing I had even the tiniest chance at real happiness and threw it away." Raven stopped here and waited to see his reaction.

Beast Boy's reaction was total shock and surprise. He had been terrified that he'd finally crossed the line and was about to be face to face with "Scary Raven" once again; and instead she was telling him she sincerely wanted to try dating him, or something along those lines. There had to be a catch, Beast Boy knew it – and there was one.

"But." Raven added in a no-nonsense tone. "I think this is something that should wait. At least until we know more about the traps waiting for us, and how people like Slade and my father are involved in them. So bottom line, are _you_ willing to try?"

Beast Boy blinked once, then again, and then grinned broadly and said: "Well duh! I totally want to try! But can I ask one tiny little favor?"

Raven hesitated. Small favors were seldom small and usually a burden. "What?"

"Can I have one little tiny kiss? Then I promise I'll go back to my room and go to sleep."

Raven let an eyebrow rise as she weighed the possible outcomes; but in truth, she didn't need to think about this one. "Yeah, alright."

After that Raven leaned forward and pressed her lips lightly against his; Beast Boy attempted to deepen the kiss but failed; apparently, 'one little tiny kiss' had been taken too literally. From the look on her face, he knew she had done it simply to irritate him; but that was part of the attraction to her.

"Goodnight Rae." Beast Boy said as he transformed himself into a tiny green hummingbird and began the journey back to his room. She waited until he had actually gotten inside and closed the door to respond with her own quiet "Goodnight Beast Boy." and then return to her room.

The second the door was closed, however, Raven did something surprising. She squealed. It was not loud, and it had only lasted for a moment; but it was enough to open her eyes wide and cause her to cast fearful glances around for onlookers. It even made her talk to herself. "Okay. That did not happen. I do not squeal. I'm Raven. Not Starfire. I don't _do_ squealing."

"Apparently you do."

The shock of hearing herself squeal was nothing compared to the surprise she was filled with the moment _his_ voice reached her ears. However, surprise was not the only emotion now filling her brain. Utter terror and silent horror were already hard at work the moment the icy sound filled the room. Raven turned around, her hands and eyes glowing with black fury and she found the speaker. She had known his voice – that terrible voice that had haunted her for her entire life – the moment she heard it. Still, hearing her father and seeing him were two different things.

She now stood face to face with Trigon the Terrible. The red mass of muscle glared back at her with his four-eyes burning like red suns and one of his long, bony fingers twirling his mustache wickedly. She did not even hear herself say her usual mantra before she blasted him with every ounce of strength she had; which sailed through his chest harmlessly and instead destroyed the shelf of spellbooks.

"What makes you think this is anything more than my spirit-self?" Trigon asked, grinning wickedly at his daughter. "Honestly Raven, this is why father's should always approve of their daughter's boyfriends ahead of time. Love makes you do stupid things."

Raven may have, any time before this, begun an intense argument with her father. However, the mention of Beast Boy caused something to change inside her. She realized two very important things and both of them delighted her. So of all the things she could have done she did the most unlikely; she walked away from her father's spirit and instead laid down in bed with her back to him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Trigon demanded.

"Going to sleep. Goodnight daddy." Raven replied, only half sarcastic.

Trigon was beyond angry. He slammed his hands down on the nightstand – or tried too. Since he had no physical form, they merely glided directly through it. Shaking with rage he made his way as close to her as he possibly could before shouting at her. "Is this some kind of joke? What makes you think you can just _sleep_? Just _ignore me?_"

"You're not on Tamaran. I am. You can't kill me right now, and you are too far away to get here before I wake up. So I'm going to sleep. Please keep it down." Raven didn't even bother to look at him; she was enjoying herself too much imagining the aghast look on his face and was sure that the real thing would only be a disappointment next to the one she was picturing.

"You insolent little half-breed! How I long for the day when I shall finally have the pleasure of pealing the flesh from your bones and squeezing the juice from your eyes –"

"Okay, dad, the whole flesh-peeling Hannibal Lecter speech is getting pretty old. Why don't you come back when you think of some new material?"

Trigon's mental image was shaking with fury and had he really been there with her, Raven would have been killed. However, she was right; he had no means to harm her now and he had already screwed up by revealing himself to her so early in the game. He had not expected this reaction from her; it was all that damn humans fault. Suddenly Trigon's anger vanished and was replaced with a cold-hearted pleasure as he smirked and spoke.

"Be careful dating humans Raven. They're fragile things."

Raven had to stop herself this time. She wanted to turn around and attack him again, to tell him that she would _not_ allow him to threaten her through Beast Boy and that she would stop him dead if he ever tried to harm him. She did not say these things, instead she stayed exactly like she was and spoke exactly as she had been speaking. "Mom was a human. You were with her."

"Yes, but I raped your mother; we never dated. There's a difference." Trigon responded showing that sarcasm ran in the family; although his anger was reaching its limit. Never before, had his daughter resisted him like this; it was intolerable.

Raven had to stop herself again; and this was the hardest time yet. She had messed up. She had mentioned her mother and now she had to pay the price for it. Her fellow Titan's knew that mentioning her father was risky around Raven; but mentioning her mother was strictly forbidden. No one had ever done so before and that was a blessing. She was holding her breath trying not to release the intensive hatred she had suddenly filled up with; she focused on Beast Boy and the kisses instead and tried her hardest to hold it in. However, she knew she could not keep it contained for long.

"Mark my words Raven." Trigon spoke suddenly, turning the tides of the conversation away from the dangerous subject. "You will die a horrible death, and it will be very soon. Then you can discuss these matters _with_ _your mother_ while you burn in hell together."

Then he was gone. Raven heard him vanish from her room and she released her breath. She could not have held it in any longer. Raven was not sure if she wanted to lose control and destroy something, or just lay in bed and cry. However, her wants did not matter. Trigon had sent his soul-self after her in the real world; not in her mind. That was critical information that needed to be reported as soon as possible. In truth, she wanted to do it alone, but she knew she could not. Not now.

Without another word or second thought, Raven was out of bed and out of her room. It was a struggle not to question everything going on, but she managed well enough. It was not until she was outside Beast Boy's door that she actually did hesitate; and it was not because of Beast Boy that she had stopped. She could hear the sounds of a still-awake Starfire in her room, chatting away rapidly to someone or something. While Raven had no clue what Starfire was actually saying, words like "Robin" and "The Trails" popped up enough for her to get the idea.

It was that which made Raven hesitate. She had been so wrapped up in her own developing romance, and her own problems that she had forgotten the reason she was here in the first place. Robin and Starfire. Wasn't this supposed to be their trip? Their romance? Their big moment? So why did it seem like there was more happening to and between herself and Beast Boy than the actual couple? With Trigon and Slade involved, it could be that Robin and Starfire were merely a distraction like Shady or the Shoe-Worms; but that seemed too much. There was something missing; some grand part of the scheme that she had either overlooked, underthinked or missed completely.

Raven shook her head. It did not matter now. Whatever was missing she'd have to figure it out later; her priority was informing someone else of what had transpired between herself and her father; confirming his role in all of this and raising questions. Raven knocked on Beast Boy's door, but did not wait for a reply to step through the wall using her powers.

Beast Boy was not asleep, nor had she expected him to be. He was sitting on the edge of his bed writing in a book; and upon seeing Raven he blinked and looked up at her at a total loss of words.

"My dad was just in my room." Raven explained, finally releasing her breath. That caused a reaction out of Beast Boy; he instantly jumped to his feet and attempted to shout – but she had anticipated this and incased his head inside a black bubble of her powers as she had done on the starship. "I'm _fine_; I was able to keep him out of my mind. I wore him down and he wound up leaving; but we have to tell the others. This proves my dad's part of all of this, and it raises a lot of questions that can't wait."

Beast Boy was up at attention in a flash. "Then we'll go tell everyone, I'll knock on Star's door and –"

"No! Everyone's still too tired from the ship. Let them sleep. We'll find Batman and tell him. He's not in his room anyway."

Beast Boy blinked. "He isn't? How can you tell—"

"I can _sense_ people, remember? And his rooms right next to yours. Besides, I'd rather not ruin this for Starfire and Robin until we have too. Now let's _go_." Raven's word on the matter was final, and Beast Boy obeyed her request once more. The two quickly hurried to find the Dark Knight, who was currently keeping his meeting with Galfore.

However, Bruce Wayne and Galfore were not the only people involved in a meeting right now; and the others were much deadlier.

* * *

Trigon's soul-self had not gone straight to where it needed to go. The moment he had vanished from his daughter's room, he had reunited with his true body and began to kill his servants out of anger. They were all slaves, victims of the planets he had conquered over his years, and many of them welcomed his fury and the salvation of death. He had to change his personal slaves every time he was around them; serving Trigon the Terrible personally was a job no one could do for more than six hours. Either they would kill themselves or Trigon would do it for them.

Now however the room was empty of all life aside from the demon master. Every slave had been slaughtered and his anger was not even close to being appeased by the bloodshed. The hellish ruler screamed, stomped his feet and destroyed many of his valuables around the room before he finally calmed down enough to think about anything but his lust for Raven's death.

After a moment, he re-released his spirit from its prison of flesh; but not to find his daughter. Instead, his soul self went directly to the only other person as involved in all of this as he Slade Wilson.

Slade was still on his way to Tamaran, sitting back in the cockpit of his ship and waiting patiently. The emptiness of space did not give him a lot to look at; but the quiet did give him time to think; Time to plan his arrival and go-over every last detail of his duties once he got there. He had thought he had planned for every possible contingency; and now apparently he had been proven wrong.

Trigon's soul-self appeared directly in front of Slade, now shrunken down even further. The true Trigon was too big to fit on Tamaran; much less in Raven's room, and had before been present only at the size of a large man. Now the spirit was even smaller – small enough to sit on Slade's dashboard like a hideously ugly doll. "Slade!"

His voice however was still thunderous and booming; and as venomous as possible.

"There's no need to shout." Slade responded calmly, keeping his emotions in check.

"Don't play cute with me!" Trigon demanded. "The plans have changed; my daughter is to be killed as soon as you reach Tamaran!"

Slade kept his composure, although he found it more difficult than usual. "The plans have _not_ changed; not if you want them to succeed. You should calm down before making decisions as important as these."

Trigon's already narrowed eyes became even thinner; almost impossible to see given his current size. "That sounded like an order." His voice was at its deadliest as it had been back in Raven's room before he had lost it.

"The plans are what they are because we've both spent too long, and have too much riding on them, for them to go any other way. I believe that upon _calming yourself_ you will realize that. Raven is a key player in what we've staged, and killing her now will ruin everything. However, if you tell me _why_ you're so adamant in changing things there may be something we can do."

Slade truly was the mastermind, no matter what Trigon may think. He was a master of diplomacy and manipulation even against others who possessed such skills. His constant need for a challenge, the drive to find an opponent worthy of facing him whether their contest was combat or mind-games such as these; that is what made him the true architect. Once again, he had proven that.

"It's that green one. She's developed feelings for him, and now their interfering in everything. She just lay there in bed! She didn't break; not even when I talked about raping her mother. Raven cannot become resistant of me Slade; if she does then none of our planning means a damn thing. We may as well forget about the trails and just destroy the planet now."

"No." Slade responded. "Raven is a key part of our plans; but not the only key. Robin and Starfire _must_ undergo the trails. However, I cannot think of a single reason for 'the green one', as you call him, to live that long. Rather than destroy Raven; I'll simply kill Beast Boy. That should make it even _easier_ for you to regain control of your daughter. Now if that's all you needed to discuss I'm almost to Tamaran now and need to concentrate on the plan; so get the hell off my spaceship."

Trigon narrowed his eyes, but did not say a word. Instead, he vanished completely leaving Slade alone to ponder these new developments. Things would proceed as planned; they would just have to do so without Beast Boy's life. Slade would have to be careful that this was the last time this sort of thing happened. Losing a Titan did not change much; but if they had to lose another, it _would_ destroy everything.

Slade was not going to lose everything; not when he had so much to gain when _his plan_ finally took shape. Things had changed a lot for Slade in life. He had served many masters and ordered many minions. He had been a solider, a mercenary, a terrorist, a servant of things much too evil to name and a master of things even fouler. However, the one thing he had never been and would never be was a man who gave up easily. He and Trigon's past was sketchy at best; but he would not allow even the demonic force of Raven's father or his personal interest in either one of them to stand in the way of his ultimate eventual goal.

* * *

The meeting between Bruce Wayne and Galfore was well underway, and already the two mentors had confirmed the impressions they had gotten for one another. They were both proven warriors and accomplished parents; and that was good enough. The "meeting" had not been the type either was used too. For Bruce a meeting was either the boredom-filled world of corporate stocks at Wayne Corp; or the high-paced and dangerous type whenever he needed aid in his crime-fighting career.

The same could be said of Galfore, who had until the return of the King and Queen actually been running the entire planet – as Starfire had decreed he should. He had done a fantastic job, of course, and the King and Queen had almost been tempted for another outing upon their return. Only disappoint in not seeing Starfire held them here.

This meeting was not about numbers, or crime fighting or the management of a planet. This was simply two people who had been around the block exchanging their favorite stories. That was it. Bruce, who still had not found the time to change out of his uniform, had already told some of his favorite tales of both combat and parenthood. Galfore had gotten a kick out of hearing about Robin's discovery that his new foster-father was also the Dark Knight of Gotham; and he was impressed when he heard just what Robin had to do to prove himself worthy of being mentored by the aged superhero. Of course, not all the stories involved such tragedy and revenge-like themes. Bruce had nearly died of laughter upon Galfore's recollection of Starfire's brief, but very serious, addiction to a Tamaranian delicacy called 'Gorvish'. Apparently it was some kind of fish that when eaten in small portions is perfectly fine; but causes advanced hallucination and intoxication whenever too much is taken at once. The bottom line; a drunk six-year-old Starfire flying around the palace results in a story guaranteed to make even the hardest of hearts warm and even the toughest of men break down in tears of laughter.

"Standing around talking about Robin and Starfire behind their backs, huh? Some important meeting." Raven's sarcasm kicked in naturally; which reassured her slightly. As shaken as she was from her encounter with Trigon she had managed to make a joke. Beast Boy actually seemed more worried than she did right now – which was both incredibly disturbing and amusing at the same time.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Galfore asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I was, but _my_ father paid me an unexpected visit." Raven replied, and quickly she launched herself into an explanation that was every bit as grim as the actual encounter. Beast Boy had not heard the details and he too was captivated by the tale. She told them everything. She did not look to her side when she mentioned Trigon's threats on his life, but she did not hold the news back from Beast Boy. She had warned him that getting involved with her was dangerous. Now she'd just have to make sure he stayed alive – which seemed a lot less impossible now than it would have in the past given the ease she'd recovered from seeing and confronting her father – and given the fact she'd actually driven _him_ to anger, and sent him away. Beast Boy had been right before; she was stronger than she gave herself credit for.

"If this Trigon can move through the castle at such ease, and if he's connected to the assassination attempts then we must inform the King and Queen at once." Galfore announced. "Extra security must be added immediately, we can send away for more troops and –"

"No." Bruce shook his head. "Trigon was here in spirit alone; not in presence. Until his physical form comes there's no reason in adding any extra security or adding any extra worry."

"Okay, number one, even if he were on his right now it'd still take him days to reach Tamaran in his physical body. And number two, if he does show up in person he can just _eat the entire planet_ like he normally does." Raven announced, trying to keep from slipping back into the 'depressed bearer-of-bad-news' role she was so used too and failing miserably.

Galfore and Bruce were both silenced by this, and Beast Boy's stupor remained unbroken. None of them knew quite what to say; since none of them really knew what fighting Trigon meant. It was a fight that only happened once and only had two outcomes; winning or losing. There was no rematch, no plan B, and no complexity. Trigon was as simple as Slade was complicated. If you failed to stop Trigon the first and only time, he would destroy everything. If you succeeded, he would be gone forever. While Slade was the opposite in every way, everything always had a second chance. Defeating Slade merely meant Slade would change his plan, or his target, or his way of doing things. Being defeated by Slade, unless he killed you, was the same. He _would_ give you another chance to stop him – he would do it and he would enjoy it.

However, none of them had even been thinking of Slade's involvement at that moment. Trigon had been the only sign of their enemies since the arrival on Tamaran; so why would they have. The assassin was still waiting to be questioned in the interrogation room and under heavy guard. Unfortunately, for everyone – especially Cyborg, the single person who had managed to fall asleep – Slade was whom they should have been thinking off.

Slade had just arrived on Tamaran, and he wanted to start things off with a bang.

The four watchtowers that stood on the four corner of the security wall had never been breached before in all the years of war. No matter which way the enemy had come; by land or air, the towers had always managed to spot the attack and send out the warning in time to save the castle. However, the ability to see the enemy was mute in this case, and they heard the sounds too late.

The only sound was the whirling whistle that followed the missile; but by the time the guards on duty in the lower left-hand Tower, the one called "Alpha" by the military personnel and the one directly on the left of our heroes, heard that sound it was too late. The missile sailed into the tower's wall and fulfilled it's purpose with the kind of deadly precision that ensured a search for survivors would only be a waste of time. The explosion from the bomb itself was relatively small; but when combined with the high-tech electronics and defensive systems inside the tower as well as their own explosives it was more than enough to annihilate the entire tower from the point of impact upwards.

The sound of a ship flying overhead could barley be heard over the sound of the blast; and this ship was unseen anyway. Slade's had been so adamant in his refusal to change plans for a single, simple reason; this one worked.

"Raven, Beast Boy where are you guys?"

Robin's voice was now breaking the static over the communicators attached both to Raven's hood and Beast Boy's belt. Starfire had been awake talking to her stuffed animals anyway, and Robin had been awake thinking; while the King and Queen had been thinking of the Trails and the possibility of a wedding. Really, the only person in the entire castle who had managed to get sleep was Cyborg; but he was not complaining too much.

"We're just above the main security gate with Bruce and Galfore, the castle is being attacked by something. You guys?" Raven replied quickly. The team on the roof had already reached an unspoken agreement to stay put but keep their escape routes many and open.

"The other Titans, the Royals and I are in middle of the castle; ground floor – and we guessed the attack from the explosion. Raven you've gotta be our eyes, what's out there?"

Raven sighed. She had already looked in every direction for the culprit behind the attack and not just with her eyes. It was defiantly a machine of some kind – she could not sense any lifeforms flying around. The Tamaranian military was too loyal and too well trained; not a single solider had abandoned his or her post despite the obvious danger.

Suddenly a second tower – this one the far-right corner that had been known as "Gamma" to the base went up in smoke like the first; and this time Raven had been staring directly at it. She swore as fluently as Cyborg did whenever he lost at video games and then announced to Robin and the others over the radio "It's mechanical _and invisible_."

The news was not met well with anyone. However, inside the palace King Myand'r managed to find his smile. The group all had to stare at him in surprise; but the Queen seemed able to predict this because she merely rolled her eyes. If there were two things, in the world Myand'r loved almost as much as he did his daughter then they were combat and his toys; and now he had a chance to get involved with both.

"Master Robin, relay this to the lass on the roof! I have an aged looking glass in the armory that was a gift from one of the planets Luand'r and I visited; supposedly, it makes that which cannot be seen visible again! I'll fetch it and meet them on the roof in –"

"I'll go." Starfire suddenly said. It was hard to tell who denied her request first; he father or her boyfriend. However, both Myand'r and Robin were firmly against this and they made it very clear, very quickly and in very loud voices.

"Why not?" The redhead demanded.

"Starfire, we don't have time to discuss this." Robin told her. "There's something invisible flying around out there blowing things up. Let your dad go."

"No Robin." Starfire replied, her voice so unnaturally dangerous that it may have been the most out of place thing to be found since the beginning of all of this. "I know where the armory is, I know of what father speaks and I can get to our friends faster than he can – and we have no time left to argue any further on this! The two of you simply cannot treat me as more than a child!"

That was that. Starfire was away like a bullet and already she had shot up into the armory. Robin admitted secretly to himself that he knew Starfire was capable and confident in a dangerous situation; but he was in love with her. He felt wrong sitting here in safety while she was in any kind of danger – whether it was danger from an unseen missile launching machine or just a stray dog. Myand'r's feelings on the subject were the same – love was love, his was just a father's love and not a boyfriends.

Starfire arrived in the armory and found what she needed instantly. The looking glass was not fancy; it was completely black and poorly carved from cheap wood. Probably the result of a bored navigator on a ship somewhere years earlier; although if the stories her father had been told were true this navigator – or one of the owners since then – must have known a thing or two about magic to have enchanted it with such a unique ability. Not having time to ponder such matters now, Starfire smashed the case and grabbed the glass before exiting through the window. She could have chosen a better way to leave than the window; but none of the cuts she received were sever enough to stop her determination and she quickly found her four friends waiting just where they said they would be.

Yet as hard as they had tried to be fast, they were not fast enough. A third tower – this one the "Beta" tower and the last remaining one in front of the palace – exploded just as "Alpha" and "Gamma" had. Only the "Delta" tower in the rear remained and they all shuddered to think of where the fifth missile was destined to head once the security was down.

"Starfire, use the scope! Do you see anything?" Raven ordered.

Starfire pressed the scope to her eye, thankful of the pirate movie they had rented the weekend before this whole mess so she knew which direction to point it in. As she scanned the skies, she found nothing and her hopes began to burn into ash – just like the walls of the palace – until she saw it. The sleek spacecraft that had played home to Slade's conversation with Trigon not long ago was now streaking towards the final tower and the missile was undoubtedly on its way.

Starfire suddenly knew what she must do. Raven was too tired and the ship was moving too fast for her powers to stop it. Batman's gadgets would not help in this situation, and while Galfore could do the same thing she was now planning, she felt it was her place to do this, not his. Starfire narrowed her eyes, which had become green, and launched herself forward. First, she screamed, and then she fired every starbolt she could manage to squeeze in before that crucial second when she simply stuck her fists forward and used herself as the final blow. The combination of damage from the exploding starbolts and her alien strength caused Starfire to sail through Slade's ship like a giant redheaded bullet. She shot smoothly through the mass of metal and out the other side. Unlike the tradition movie-stereotype, the ship did not explode immediately afterward. Instead, it fell out of the sky, now severed in half, and in a diagonal course that ended when both halves crashed into the prison compound the "glassy assassin" had been locked in hours ago. It was _then_ that the missile that had been preparing to launch exploded and engulfed the building and both halves of the ship in the flames that had been reserved for tower number four.

"Oops." Starfire whispered to herself. "Perhaps I overdid it?"

That was the end of order on the base for a long time. The soldiers went scrambling to assess the damage, search for survivors, begin the clean up and pray their prisoner was either dead or still in captivity. The Titans on the inside of the castle were all just as disorderly in their search of information about the outside while those on the roof wanted to know what was going on inside. Starfire settled herself in with the roof group, feeling ashamed. She had been so sure she could handle this and now the assassin, one of their best leads, may be lost because of her. Robin would have told her it was not her fault and that she _had_ been tremendously impressive in what she did in both skill and terms of bravery – but Robin was inside and she was outside.

One thing they all did agree on, however, was that the ship had not completely its mission. Damage was done, confusion was created; but they had survived and the castle was untouched. Surely, that was another defeat for their enemy.

Slade however was perfectly satisfied at everything. He had been controlling the ship with a remote the entire time and everything had gone even better than he expected. After all, damage _was_ done, confusion _was_ created; and it was in that confusion that he was allowed to stroll into the castle through the front door unseen by all around him. He would have ample time to find a suitable hiding spot; and just as much time to wait for Beast Boy to walk into the waiting hands of death. The only downside was everything had gone so well and he'd only get to claim one Titan for all his trouble – no matter; Beast Boy would be joined in hell soon enough.

The Teen Titans would never see Earth again; not if Slade had any say in the matter.

**A/N**: Well, I hope everyone enjoyed it and that it was worth the wait. Chapter nine's being planned/written now so it should be up sometime in the next few days; it all depends on my time and creativity. Here is the part of the show where I ask you for reviews, and you hopefully give them to me. See you next time folks.

**Golden Sama (Brandon Rice)**


	9. Five Good Reasons To Avoid The Kitchen

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Nine**

"**Five Good Reasons To Avoid The Kitchen"**

**A/N**: Well, here's chapter nine. I'll have to give you a violence warning for this one; since there's quite of bit of knife and explosion related death. **_Nothing graphic!_** Oh, and I once _again_ missed Birthmark, which sucks because I still have no clue what the deal is with Slade's new powers. So I improvised and gave him even newer new powers; and I'll explain how he got them a bit later on. Enjoy.

* * *

The level of confusion that had allowed Slade his perfect entrance had now died down and some form of order had been restored to the military base. The King and Queen had taken charge, as they rightfully should have. Using Tamara's equivalent to the megaphone and their unnaturally loud shouting ability, they had managed to get the attention of everyone on sight and hand out orders. The military was able to work quickly at the towers to search for survivors and keep damage at a minimum. The defenses were down; but the Tamaranian military was on top of that too. There seemed to be guardsman of some kind, flying overhead constantly to ensure that no further attacks would take place tonight.

The Titans however, had found another project to occupy their attention. All five teens had reunited by the wreckage; although there was no time for any actual talk. Somehow, the five heroes found themselves alone without Galfore, who was gone to aid in the search of the towers, and Batman who was helping the military secure the neglected front gates. However, sleep-deprivation and lack of aid was not enough to stop them. Robin took charge of the team as always and they assembled at the crash site; which was in need of a search anyway.

The combination of strength from Starfire and Cyborg, Beast Boy's gorilla form and aid from Raven's powers made the work quick. They were able to move the severed spaceship away from the main building without collapsing the structure of either. Robin was preoccupied actually getting inside the still-burning jailhouse and searching for any sigh of the Glassy Assassin. In all odds, the assassin was probably either dead or long-gone by now; but odds had not been in their favor for a long time and the last thing they needed was a second encounter with the ninja.

It seemed to last forever, though actuality they were finished with their work quicker than anyone else who was running around the base. The last few days had brought large changes in everyone, and they had been functioning under the watchful eyes of Batman, Galfore and the Royal Family; but in the end the very little had changed when the five Teen Titans set about their task as one.

Robin emerged from the smoldering hole of the interrogation room's wall and found the eager faces of his fellow Titans. He shook his head to show there was no sign of the assassin and spirits fell. It was doubtful that the villain had escaped, and even if he had the odds were he'd be uneager for another battle; however none could shake the feeling that not discovering him would come back to be a problem later. Robin now turned his attention to Starfire, whom he had not spoken too since they had regrouped. He had been wrong and it was time to fess up to it; and from the look in her eyes, it was also time for his shoulder to wipe her tears. She had succeeded in saving her friends from the ship – as she had said she could – however, the stench of failure was clinging to the air and choking the life out of any level of victory they had accomplished.

The distance between them had become thin. Only a few feet of burnt grass and ash-covered dirt separated the duo. Starfire was leaning against the wall of the demolished building as Robin approached her; she jerked her shoulder away from his hand as he reached out to touch her.

"Starfire I'm sorry."

"You should be." Starfire spat back. She was sad, but she was also angry. "People who are now dead would not be if you and father had not held me up before. I could have saved them if I had had more time."

Robin sighed and tore his eyes away from her. The ash-covered ground had now looked more appealing than Starfire's back. She was right and he knew it. If Robin had trusted her more before, if she had arrived and done battle with the ship sooner the result could have been different. People who were now dead would still be alive; and it was partially his fault.

"You're right Starfire. There's no apology I could make that would be enough for this."

"I am not angry at you Robin." Starfire said quietly, turning to face him for the first time. Her large eyes filled with tears and her body was shaking as she tried to control the emotions swelling up inside her. "I am disappointed. My father I expect this treatment from for he does not live with us; however, you spend every day with me Robin. You are my best friend and the person I love most of all. You should not doubt me."

That was too much for Robin. Psychotic supervillians, invisible spaceships, missing assassins – those things he could deal with. Starfire's disappointment in him right now was beyond him; he could not handle it and was not going to waste time trying. "I'm sorry Starfire. You _are_ one of the most capable people I've ever met. I should have known you'd be fine, I shouldn't have had the slightest bit of doubt. I know I shouldn't but I do; and I always have. Every time we're in any kind of danger, I'm worried about you. Whether we're fighting someone serious like Slade or just chasing a second-rate street thug; I'm afraid something's going to happen to you. I'm afraid I'll lose you. I don't know what I'd do Starfire."

"You will_ not_ lose me Robin." Starfire said firmly. "I promise you."

It was enough for both of them. The two embraced and Robin did not mind the bone-crunching pain of Starfire's full grip around him as they did. He could hear tiny murmurs of her tears on his shoulder and he could feel his own sliding silently down from behind the mask. They did not need words anymore; it was clear. They were in love and no one was changing that. Their own arguments, the assassins, Slade and Trigon and whoever or whatever else was behind all of this, the trails – nothing was going to stop them from being together.

Not far from where the pair was embracing, stood Beast Boy watching them with a sneaky smile on his face. He of all people knew it was no fun to be eavesdropped on when you are trying to share a romantic moment; but he also knew how much fun it was to do the eavesdropping.

"You know they're going to start watching us if you keep this up." Raven's sarcasm cut across his green ears, which twitched and perked up at the sound.

"Hey, we're suppose to be waiting for Robin's orders; right? I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do." Beast Boy replied as he turned around to find the Goth floating towards him with a less-than-amused look on her face.

"Well you won't have to wait for long. I just got a call from one of the military teams patrolling the castle; two members of their team are missing. It could just be slackers, but these Tamaranians don't strike me as the type who'd skip any chance for combat." Raven explained. Her worries went deeper than that; if there were soldiers going missing around the base it could be a sign the assassin was still alive; or a sign that whoever was behind the aerial assault was still around.

"Wait! Don't bug Robin and Starfire over that! Let them enjoy their moment Rae. You and I can go check this out." Beast Boy said quickly, cutting off her path from the boy wonder and the princess.

"While wandering around looking for danger with you usually turns out to be more fun than it sounds, I can't. They found some survivors from the missile blast; but without a good healer fast they won't be survivors much longer." Raven explained quickly, attempting once again to get by Beast Boy.

Now Beast Boy _was_ annoyed. "So then let me go. It's just checking out the castle, not even I can mess that up. Then Robin and Starfire can have their moment _and_ you can heal the wounded."

Raven narrowed her eyes. "What if you do find someone? You can't handle that assassin alone."

"And I'd be too scared to try." Beast Boy replied instantly. "If I find something I'll call you _and_ Robin, okay?"

Raven was obviously not okay with this plan, but it made sense. That was the problem; most arguments with Beast Boy were pointless, so whenever he did make sense it became almost impossible to win. "Alright, but don't do anything stupid."

Beast Boy nodded. "When have I ever?"

Raven narrowed her eyes and became as serious as a stone. "Not funny. You _have_ to be careful with this Beast Boy."

Beast Boy nodded, not matching her in her level of seriousness but attempting too. "I will Raven. I promise."

"Fine, then hurry up. A Tamaranian Solider named Mund'r is waiting at the main gate." She explained as the two of them began walking in the direction of the castle. "I don't know how you'll tell him apart from the others, so you'd better remember his name."

"Mundoor, okay, got it. I guess I'm all set then?" Beast Boy asked as they stopped and faced each other one last time before they would have to separate ways.

"It appears so." Raven hesitated. "Be careful."

Beast Boy rolled his eyes and flashed her a toothy grin. "You said that already."

Raven's grin was much thinner, but still returned. "Yeah, I know."

That was that. Raven turned around, all kidding and romance aside as her mind focused on one goal; keeping those survivors alive. Raven quickly rose off the ground and floated her way back to the crash site, where she was sure the Tamaranians and others Titans would be finished tending to the wounded as well as they could by now. She wasn't exactly looking forward to her task, since her "healing" powers meant she'd be transferring their pain into her own body; but it was something she was going to do.

Beast Boy turned the opposite way and jumped into the air, morphing himself into the shape of a proud eagle before beginning his flight to the actual castle. His chore sounded simple enough; he just had to walk around the castle with some dude named Mooner and look for weird stuff. Unfortunately, the simplest of tasks are often the easiest to go astray; and when it came to messing things up Beast Boy was the undisputed expert of the Teen Titans.

As he arrived at the castle Beast Boy turned back into his true form and landed at the main gate. He'd barley had time to run a hand through his hair when a voice like thunder called and a mountain of a main came barreling towards him.

"You are Titan, no?" It was Mund'r. Beast Boy had expected Mund'r to be bigger than him; but this was sheer madness. The solider stood at least six feet, but Beast Boy guessed he was probably closer to seven. His weight was something the Green Teen wouldn't even begin to imagine; but it had to be a lot – and all of it muscle. Had they met under less engaging events Beast Boy would have probably asked him to try to bench press his elephant form – but Raven wouldn't find that kind of slacking amusing.

"Yeah, I'm a Titan. Beast Boy. You must be Molder?"

"I am Mund'r, Sgt. First Class, Eastern Division of the –"

"Umm, not to be rude but I don't know military talk anyway, so we should just go look for the other dudes." Beast Boy interrupted. "We're looking for the other two dudes in your division thingy, right?"

"Indeed." Mund'r replied, his expression now sombering up. "We were charged with securing the main gate after the attack began. M'kal, B'ran and were all standing here when the second tower was attacked. B'ran, the Leader of our Unit, ordered that we secure the inner castle. He assigned himself to the areas on the right, M'kal to the left; and I was to stay at the main entrance."

Beast Boy glanced inside the castle. He was still confused as to where everything was; but he recognized the path to the kitchen down the right side and figured that'd be as good a place as any. "So nobody came past you, right? Which means if it was the assassin he had to find another way it – hey, but he didn't get out until later! Which means they're just slacking off or something –"

"B'ran would never slack off, and he was strict to M'kal and I whenever we tried. He would sooner die than break even the slightest rule."

Beast Boy blinked, and then he understood something grim. "Umm, let's go check the kitchen. I'm so lost that by the time I figure the timeline out Raven'll be done working and we'll both be in serious trouble."

Mund'r did not seem to understand, but it was clear from the look in his eyes that he would rather be searching for his team than chatting with Beast Boy anyway and the two set off towards the kitchen without another word. Mund'r floated over the ground quickly, his fists were clenched the way Starfire's were whenever she did the same thing. Beast Boy followed beside him swiftly, wondering if he should transform or not.

The wondering ceased when they reached the kitchen. The questions were answered very quickly. The kitchen was huge, like everything else in the castle. A long table ran down the middle and was used for food preparation; with cupboards, freezers, sinks and cabinets running along either side. One of the freezers was cracked open; and a large man's arm was hanging out the side.

Mund'r was at the freezer door the moment the shock wore off; and he screamed and fell to his massive knees the next. The mountain-of-a-man who had once looked like he could intimidate the most ruthless of killers with a single glance had become a friend grieving over a friend's body. B'ran, the self-proclaimed rule freak and highest-ranking officer of squad was lying at Mund'r feet; his throat had been slashed.

Beast Boy was frozen. He was standing in a alien kitchen watching one solider crying over the dead-body of another, the blood from the wound was partially frozen but still running over onto the ground. It had to be one of the most horrible things he had ever seen in his life, and he could not react.

Unfortunately, he would have to react. Whether it made sense with their agreed timeline or not, whether Mund'r had seen him enter the castle or not; it was irrelevant. The Glassy Assassin's whereabouts were no longer unknown; he was right behind Beast Boy and Mund'r. He had been looking for a better knife than the one he used to kill B'ran with when they had shown up, and he had merely ducked into the oversized silverware cupboard he had been looking in.

Now he was using the trademark stealth that had kept him invisible for so long on the ship to make slowly make his way into the perfect position to strike. While it was probably one of the smallest knives in the kitchen, the one in his hand was of Tamaranian origin and was roughly the size of a dagger; and sharp enough to slice through bone.

There was only one flaw; he was behind the wrong target. He had engaged Beast Boy in battle before, and he'd obviously done the same with oversized Tamaranian soldiers – and he knew which one he wanted to kill first. He had been beaten, interrogated, and nearly killed by a spaceship crash. There was no way he would last in a fair fight against one of these brutes. However Beast Boy was the closer of the two – and there was a good chance he could spot the assassin coming if he tried to sneak past him.

That would not be an issue much longer though. Beast Boy decided it was best if he just leave Mund'r to grieve for a moment; and he turned around. Upon doing so, he and the glassy assassin found themselves face to face; neither one sure what was going on.

"DUDE!" Beast Boy had to transform himself into a mouse and fall to flat on his rump to avoid the swipe from the assassin's blade. Mund'r turned his head, his face still stained from grief – which became blazing anger the moment the realized what was going on. The Tamaranian strongman stood and turned but the assassin stabbed at him too quickly. Mund'r was caught in the stomach and stabbed three times before he staggered backwards over the body of his friend, and ultimately fell onto his back.

"Raven! Robin! Get down here; the assassin dude is killing the big dude! We're in the kitchen!"

Beast Boy did as he had promised; he grabbed his communicator the moment he had regained enough sense to move and called for backup. Now it was time for him to fight. Mund'r was dead and Beast Boy knew that. The Tamaranian solider had died in his duty, died for a friend; and that was how most of the people Beast Boy knew would like to die if they have a choice in the matter. He himself would want his death to mean something, to be a sacrifice for someone if he was not aloud to die of natural causes.

Unfortunately, at this point he may not have any say in it. The Glassy Assassin was in front of him, and he was ready to send Beast Boy to the grave anyway he could. Beast Boy stepped backwards a few steps and watched the assassin; who did not move an inch. The assassin's eyes followed Beast Boy's feet and his fingers flexed menacingly around the hilt of the knife.

Beast Boy was thinking fast. What kind of animal would be best for this? If he became a bird and tried to fly away, it would not work; the assassin was too quick with his kicks and with that blade. He could become a bear; but he would likely meet the same fate as Mund'r. Rhino, Bull, Crocodile – none of them would do any good in this confined space. Perhaps a snake? Sleek, swift and deadly just like his enemy.

Then it hit him. The perfect animal for defeating the perfect assassin. Not a snake, a worm.

A _shoe_-worm.

The assassin decided that the minute and a half that had passed since Mund'r's death and Beast Boy's call for help was enough waiting time, and he jumped forward to strike. Beast Boy jumped forward too – transforming into an all-green version of the Tamaranian shoe-worm as he did. His mouth was open, his fangs ready and his body had him on a direct course with the assassin's shoulder.

The assassin was faster than a shoe-worm, though. He brought the hilt of his knife down on the back of Beast Boy's head, and the shoe-worm form vanished leaving the original Beast Boy to fall on his stomach, helpless at the ninja-like killer's feet. The assassin was not one to waste time, and he did not. He turned the knife upside down and raised his arm for the striking blow.

"You really don't want to do that."

Cyborg pressed the edge of his arm-cannon into the side of the assassin's head. Unlike his usual self, the assassin had not noticed the arrival of the other Titans; nor had Beast Boy for that matter. However, they were there; all of them. Beast Boy was suddenly being drug away from the deadly killer and towards and even worse fate – Raven.

"Do the words 'Be Careful' mean nothing to you?" She asked.

"Hey, I called." Beast Boy retorted; but neither of them pressed the matter any further. Starfire had found her way to the Tamaranian's bodies and was now moving them into less degrading positions, shaking her head and biting back the tears that accompanied such a task. Robin's focus was on the assassin, however and he spoke softly.

"Anyone have any ideas on where we take him?"

"I'll deal with him." Raven said instantly. Beast Boy had only just noticed the shake in her step and the way her arms were quivering silently. Upon remembering she had been healing the wounded, he suddenly felt that her dealing with anything was a bad idea. She'd been sleep deprived, attacked by Trigon in her mind, she'd used her "healing" powers to take other people's pain and transfer it into her own body, and her mental worry had doubled upon seeing Beast Boy so close to an early grave.

"A ninja does not reveal his mission or his master. We willingly die by the sword – ours or our enemies."

All five Titans had to look up for this one. The Glassy Assassin had spoken in a raspy, hissing voice. It was not a cold voice; though it lacked any warmth whatsoever. It was the voice of a defeated, broken person who faced the same outcome on all sides and had accepted the inevitable.

"Good." Raven replied. She turned away from Beast Boy and raised her hands out before her. Even before 'Azarath Metreon Zinthos' had reached the tip of her tongue, black light shot from her fingertips and engulfed the assassin's head. Her eyes were chalk white and wide and the Ninja, who had sworn to take his secrets to the grave, broke his vow and fell to his knees.

Then his head exploded.

It happened faster than anything that had happened so far. A bright blue beam of light, similar to a bolt of lightning, had streaked into the room from the hallway. It had sailed between Robin and Starfire, sped past Raven's face so closely it caused her hair to blow, and collided directly with the assassin's face. The now-headless body fell to the floor afterwards; no blood was spilt from the singe and no traces of a head were ever found.

The horror and shock of the Titans quickly gave way to turning around. A man stood at the doorway to the room – if Slade could be called a man. He was not mortal, and he was not a surprise. They had known of his involvement in this plot already, and even if they had not it still would have only been a small shock to learn of it now. Slade Wilson was their Archenemy and their confrontation had only been a matter of time.

Beast Boy's jaw dropped and his eyes bulged in the 'how could this get any worse' expression usually reserved for Saturday morning cartoon characters. Raven's eyes widened in horror again, recalling her own past encounters with Slade; hating them all for different reasons. Cyborg shook his head, he had expected things to get worse but this was ridiculous. Starfire looked as if she was suppressing a small scream, but instead of just holding it inside, she turned it into anger and took a battle stance. Robin merely stood leaning against his bo-staff, as he had been a moment before.

"Shall we?" Slade asked, and then the fight began.

Robin was the first forward, his eyes narrowed and his staff ready with a strike. Slade blocked the bo-staff with his right arm while he bent his left leg and impaled his knee into Robin's chest. The boy wonder went stumbling backwards but it hardly mattered since Starfire and Cyborg had quickly found their way to either side of the Archenemy. Starfire's eyebeams and Cyborg's canon fired away – and Slade sidestepped them both. However this wasn't a total shock; both Titan's had expected as much and had taken evasive movement the second they're attacked. Starfire avoided the blast from Cyborg's beam, and Cyborg was already preparing his next assault on Slade.

Slade was not in the mood to play games. His single eye flashed with what appeared to be bright blue lightning before a second beam, identical to the one that had destroyed the glassy assassin, fired from it and connected with Cyborg's chest. This beam was apparently toned down because Cyborg did not explode – he was just zapped. His body began to shake and sparks shot from everything mechanical like fireworks on the fourth of July. After only a few seconds, the electrocution ended and Cyborg fell backwards, his mechanical half completely fried and his human body doing even worse.

"Why can't you just be like a normal supervillian and stick with the same old tricks?" Cyborg asked before passing out.

"Gets boring." Slade sarcastically replied as he turned around to dispatch the rest of the Titans. Raven caught him off guard this time; her powers engulfed Slade's body at the chest level, binding his arms down and quickly spreading over his entire form. Before the black light could consume his head, however, Slade turned it to the right side and made use of his newest power for a third time – this time the target was Beast Boy, and this time he missed.

The beam's angle wasn't as perfect as it had been the first two times, and instead of delivering a killing blow to Beast Boy's chest it collided with a silver candleholder that had been setting on the kitchen counter. Beast Boy, who had been standing on the counter in the form of a large raptor and preparing to attack Slade, was electrocuted along with everything else. The counter blazed with blue lightning and silver sparks, the candleholder was melted into a pool of wax and dissolved steel; and Beast Boy fell on his back, in his original form once again, looking much like a piece of overcooked meat and not breathing.

It was not what she saw that made Raven release Slade and hurry to Beast Boy's aid. She had not stopped engulfing him in the light when the blast had hit him, nor when he had screamed. She had wanted to, of course, but she knew better. Slade knew of Beast Boy and Raven's newfound romance and she knew he'd use it against them – thus she'd already decided Beast Boy may have to be injured for now. The problem was he was more than injured.

He was dead.

Actually she knew he was still alive, but barley. Her sixth sense, the infernal demon power to feel life around her, told her he was still among the living – but that was not going to be the case very long. He was not breathing, and his heart had stopped beating and his brain was no longer sending signals to the rest of his body. By medical standards, he _was_ brain dead. However Raven could still sense his spirit, and while it was fading almost as quickly as his body, it was not gone.

Raven was not sure what she was thinking as she tried to heal him; she was not even sure what she was doing to be honest. She had given thought – a lot of thought – to what would happen if she allowed this romance and then lost Beast Boy. She had thought about it, they had talked about it and she had foolishly accepted his promises of being careful and never leaving no matter what. She was not sure what would happen if he died; but she did not want to find out. On the other hand if he survived this would affect any future romance in ways she did not want to think about yet.

While Raven's mind was now lost in thoughts of Beast Boy and his struggle to survive, the remaining active Titans – Robin and Starfire – were still preoccupied with Slade; and he with them. The battle had continued without much change; the Titans would attack and Slade would show them up. Starfire had found the perfect combination of luck and anger and managed to land an devastatingly strong punch directly into Slade's upper chest; however even as he was toppled over onto his back, Slade was able to retaliate with a kick to Star's knee. It didn't knock her out of the sky, but it did knock her backwards and cause her to clutch her leg in pain.

Robin's turn came next. Between what he had done tonight, Robin's long and painful past with Slade, and seeing Starfire clutch herself in silent tears of ache; Robin was well beyond fuming. He was gnashing his teeth and the heat from his anger seemed to surge from his body. The moment Slade was on the ground Robin struck and he connected the head of his bo-staff with the masked man's bellybutton. Slade could not ignore the intensity of the strike or the pain that surged through his nerves – but that did not mean he was beaten.

Pain was part of any battle. Physical, Emotional, Mental – whatever the specific type of pain it was still present on both sides. That's what made combat so much fun. He just had to the task of ensuring that the pain Robin was about to feel was greater and more sever than the hurt he was now feeling. A single blast from his newest power could have done that, as it had proven by taking out two Titans and one assassin already; the lightning eye was his most dangerous toy to date. However, Robin deserved better than that for being uncharacteristically impressive tonight. It had been a while since Robin impressed Slade, so Slade would "reward him".

Robin brought the staff back for another strike, this time the target being Slade's face – and this time Slade stopped it. Snapping his neck to the side, Slade avoided the strike that could have smashed his face in, and in a flash, he summoned all of his strength and spun his body around like a top. His legs connected with Robin's and sent the boy wonder falling backwards. Robin caught himself with a back flip; but not in time. Slade was back on his feet.

"Good Robin, you've improved more than I would have thought possible."

"Don't even start." Robin growled in warning. "The apprentice angle's getting real old."

Slade was clearly grinning behind his mask, how Robin knew he did not know, but he knew.

"Ah, but you _still_ have the same old flaw. The need to save your friends." Slade extended his arm to indicate Beast Boy and Raven. "She can save him of course, those healing powers are strong enough too I'm sure. However, after everything she has been through she'll need saving herself. Are you willing to let one of them die so you can satisfy your need for my blood?"

A senseless supervillian was a horrible thing; but a logical one was even worse. Knowing he was doing exactly what Slade wanted him too, Robin took off towards Raven and Beast Boy. He didn't have the slightest clue what he'd do when he got to them, how or even if he could save them, but he had to try. Slade was right; he did need to save his friends.

Slade merely stood there, his eye flashing with lightning in anticipation. Once Robin was close enough he'd show them just how powerful this eye could be. He'd blast all three of them into dust and finally have triumphed over the teen titans. He'd have to start looking for his next challenge when he returned to earth.

Robin arrived, just as Slade had predicted.

Slade fired his strongest lightning blast, just as he had planned.

Then Trigon appeared directly in front of him the moment he did.

The demonic lord had appeared from out of nowhere, his patience gone upon learning that Slade was engaged in battle with the Titans and he had not been informed. The plan had been to kill _Beast Boy_, not all of them. Trigon was angry and he did not want to argue with Slade mentally; this had to be done in person.

Upon appearing and being struck with the highest-powered lightning blast, Trigon was engulfed in lightning. Electricity shot in and out of every pore on his towering form and he uttered an inhuman scream that was half from pain and half from anger. Slade swore fluently as he realized what was happening and what would happen next.

Trigon extended his arms and grabbed Slade by the shoulders, which caused the lightning to surge into the masked fiend as well. None of the Titans were watching this, however, and that would prove to be a dangerous mistake. There was a pop and suddenly they were gone. Slade, Trigon, the mass of lightning surging between them and any sounds accompanying them – gone with a small pop. Robin heard this of course, he'd heard the whole thing and he highly doubted they'd been destroyed – however something told him that wherever they'd vanished too and whatever was happening to them now; it had not been in their plan and they would need some time to recover from it.

Raven had heard the entire thing as well. She had recognized her father from his presence, and if not for Beast Boy's life still hanging in her hands she'd be dancing from joy at feeling her father filled with such an incredible pain. However the pain in her own body was nearly as bad, and she wasn't going to be conscious long enough to save Garfield Logan.

"Robin – Get Healers." She spat through gritted teeth. Robin didn't hesitate a second. Raven wasn't sure what was giving her the strength she was using now. Perhaps it was love; she had always heard the cliché stories about lovers who find untapped strength when battling to save the life of the person who stole their heart. Maybe it was anger. Anger at her Slade for doing this, anger at Beast Boy for making her go through this. On the other hand, maybe it was something else; she didn't know and she did not care.

"I'm sorry." Raven panted, and then she collapsed onto Beast Boy's chest unconscious. She'd held on as long as she could.

* * *

Raven did not dream. She had no consciousness again for a long time. She had not been awake, of course, but her subconscious was out as well. No dreams, no thoughts – it had been like a coma, but she had been in one of those before and this was worse. When her subconscious finally did kick back online and thought returned, she wasted no time on it. Instead, she let her eyes shoot open and she sat up in bed – apparently okay.

"Beast Boy's fine." Robin said on cue the moment she sat up.

Raven did not acknowledge him at first. Instead she blinked several times and looked around to establish her barring. It took longer than it should have, but after a moment of looking and another moment of thinking, she realized she was tucked into a small white bed and she was inside a room, she'd never been in before – an infirmary of some kind.

"Okay, care to explain?" Raven asked weakly returning her eyes to the boy wonder and abandoning her cause to figure things out on her own.

Robin seemed to have been waiting for this. "It's been a little over two days since the kitchen incident. The healers and I arrived and stabilized both you and Beast Boy before we all came here. This place is the infirmary; it's actually part of an underground bunker beneath the castle. The 'safest place on Tamaran' according to the King."

Raven shook her head. "Well that's saying a lot."

"Still sarcastic I see."

Raven looked over to her right to see Cyborg lying in a bed much like hers. It was only now that she noticed that the bed contained several similar beds all side by side. She really had not looked around very well. Cyborg occupied the one next to hers, and the rest down the row were empty. Across from her however was a very beaten but obviously alive Beast Boy, with Starfire sleeping in the bed next to his and across from Cyborg's. A fifth bed next to Starfire's was unmade and she knew it had been Robin's.

"And we're all still alive. I guess it's better than it could be." Raven let herself lay down again – her body was aching and she didn't want to push it for a second more than she had too.

"From what Robin tells me Slade's probably worse off than any of us. Any sign of him, by the way?" Cyborg asked, switching the conversation from Raven to Robin. The boy wonder rose from his spot on the end of Raven's bed and shook his head as he stretched.

"No. When Slade and Trigon vanished, they literally vanished. The King has everyone he can spare looking for them, Bruce and Galfore are both leading search teams too; but there's nothing."

Raven closed her eyes for a moment and tried to block out everything. It was difficult, but after a moment, she sighed and opened them again with one more added worry. "My father's still on Tamaran."

Robin and Cyborg exchanged dark glances and sighs equal to the one Raven had given off. "Well, I never expected they'd be the type to just give up. Let's just hope we messed them up worse than they messed us up." Cyborg said just before he unleashed a massive yawn.

"Impossible to tell. Listen, I've got to get going for a bit, you two going to be alright on your own?" Robin asked.

"What's the hurry?" Raven raised an eyebrow.

"The King and Queen wanted to meet with me to discuss the Trails." Robin explained. Cyborg shook his head.

"Jeez, I'd forgot all about those. Maybe they want to cancel them, given all the stuff going on." This suggestion made Raven shake her head.

"Starfire won't like that." She noted, glancing at the sleeping redhead across the room.

"Doesn't matter, I won't let them cancel them anyway. Besides, I think they want to move up the Trails date. Hurry up and get them done with so we can concentrate on the whole Slade and Trigon thing." Robin suggested.

"Mmm. Well that would be good news. Sooner we finish those trails the sooner we can go home." Cyborg smiled.

"What, you don't enjoy being constantly attacked by our worst enemies on a foreign planet?" Raven teased.

"Hey, Speaking of that, I have a bone to pick with you. I'm not in love, and neither of those psychos have a grudge against me; so how come I'm always the first of us to get his ass kicked?" Cyborg responded. All three of the titans offered small laughs at this, though the happiness was fleeting at best.

Still, it was happiness. Even if only for the length of a few giggles, it was real; and that was enough for Raven to keep that tiny ember of hope still glowing in her chest alive for a little while longer. It had almost gone out with Beast Boy, and it was not as bright or hot as it once was – but it was still there.

"Well, I'm off. Wish me luck." Robin left the room before they could, his face was weak from his own tiredness and Raven had a feeling that even though he had been in his bed, he hadn't slept a wink since the kitchen incident.

"Well, I guess I'll just order something from the kitchen. No way I'll get anymore sleep – they're rebuilding some of the systems Slade fried on me and it hurts like you wouldn't believe." Cyborg explained.

"Ugh, I can think of five good reasons to avoid all kitchens in the future." Raven responded. "Dead Bodies, Crazy Supervillians, Multiple Explosions, Other Near-Death Situations; and let's face it, the food on this planet sucks."

Cyborg was grinning, but not from what she'd said. "Yeah, but you and BB hooked up in the kitchen back on the spaceship; remember?"

Raven narrowed her eyes, though she had to admit that his one reason why she should like kitchens was better than all five of her reasons to avoid them combined.

Of course, that reason wouldn't matter if Beast Boy died. Raven cast one final glance at his broken body before turning on her side and praying that sleep came fast and that the next time she woke up – be it two days or two minutes – he'd be awake too.

* * *

**A/N**: Hopefully it wasn't too long or too short, and hopefully it'll garnish a few more reviews. They're starting to pile up, and that's an awesome feeling of accomplishment. Anyway, chapter ten will be up as soon as possible; so keep an eye out for it, kay?

I leave you all in peace,

**Golden-Sama**


	10. Robin Gets Lucky, Beast Boy Doesn't

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Ten**

"**Robin Gets Lucky, Beast Boy Doesn't"**

**A/N**: Ten Chapters, Fifty-Eight Reviews; One Month. Heheh, I love writing this story man. A **_HUGE_** thanks to everyone on and who have read and/or reviewed this story. Now on with this chapter!

* * *

After a quick walk, Robin found himself in the Throne Room of the underground bunker face to face with Starfire's parents. The throne room wasn't fancy, not by comparison to the one in the main palace. The only "royal" looking thing about it was the raised chairs and the King and Queen who sat on them. The rest of the room looked more like a military control room – which it was.

The King and Queen controlled the military, and this bunker was used only in times of invasion or civil war; therefore, it was perfect for its purpose. The Tamaranian's knew war; they knew how to start war, how to fight war, and how to end war. This was just another part of that knowledge now at work; because they were at war. It wasn't a tradition war against a traditional foe; but it was a war.

However, from the somber face of King Myand'r, and the teary eyes of Queen Luand'r; Robin's side was losing the war. The moment he'd entered the room he'd taken notice of their emotion and his heart suddenly felt as if it was made of stone. He was here to talk about the Trials – the Tamaranian Love Trials that had started this entire affair – and the discussion wasn't one he'd like.

"You're highnesses." Robin bowed politely, dipping himself down to waist level and trying to keep the worry in his eyes masked away.

"Please Master Robin, have a seat." King Myand'r said in a somber voice, moving his arm to indicate a small wooden chair that was placed off to the side of the King's throne.

"Thank you." Robin replied, though only for formality. He wasn't thankful to be here, or to be asked to sit; but he did anyway. Once he had, King Myand'r turned his head so that he and Robin were staring into each other's eyes. Robin knew in an instant the news was every bit as bad as he'd expected, and words soon came from the Tamaranian ruler's mouth to confirm his suspicions.

"Master Robin, I am afraid we cannot hold the trails as planned. Recent events cannot be overlooked, and there is too much that must be done. I am sorry."

Robin dropped his head, rubbed the bridge of his nose with his index and middle finger, and shook his head. He wasn't all that disappointed in getting out of the trails – he didn't need a test to tell him how he felt about Starfire. Starfire, however, was the problem. She was so happy at any mention of the trails. On the ship, on Tamaran; anytime someone had brought the conversation back to the strange tradition she'd light up. Now that light would have to be stamped out – and to Robin that was worse than anything he'd endured so far.

"I understand Your Highness; but Starfire won't. She won't understand this and she won't be happy." Robin looked back at the King now, expecting anger or disappointment. He found neither – rather the King had a mischievous grin spread across his face. It reminded him of Beast Boy, which was unnerving.

"Ah, but I have a solution that may please you both. The _traditional_ trails cannot be held; we simply do not have the labor or the time to build the stadium or design the test. However, the _original_ trails can still be undergone. They are quicker, more effective and much more dangerous than the ones you would have been doing." Myand'r explained.

Robin wasn't sure if he should be filled with happiness or worry at this news, so he decided to press the point. "History lesson?"

Queen Luand'r spoke this time; Her first time speaking since the meeting had begun. Unlike her husband, who seemed excited and proud that his daughter would be undergoing the "original" trails, the Queen seemed to be against the idea completely. However she made no mention of her emotion except through the quiet warning she flashed Robin when their eyes made contact. Then she explained.

"The Trails of Love, or the Lover's Trials, have always been a part of Tamaran's history going back longer than many realize. The trails you were to undergo have been the ones used for many hundreds of years; but they are not the originals. When they were first founded, the trails were much simpler and much deadlier. Two young lovers would by their own accord travel to a place in the Tamaranian desert that we call "Ochu Nador", or "Ochu's Dancing Ground". There they would find a cavern in the midst of the desert. Beneath the cavern is a series of underground catacombs; and atop the cavern's is a chasm. The chasm leads into the catacombs. The lovers would select a small keepsake that represents their love to them and drop it inside the chasm. Then they'd enter the cavern, seek out the entrance to the catacombs, and enter them in an attempt to find their keepsake. If they found it, their love was assured. If they did not recover it – or if they died in the process – it would be failure."

Robin had been waiting for that last part. Anyone could search a cave for a keepsake, but only on Tamaran did the risk of dying in the process become such an important topic. Flashing a small grin, Robin looked up at the King and Queen. "I take it the catacombs aren't just empty caves?"

The King returned his grin, though it was much larger than Robin's. "Of course not! According to those who successfully completed the old trails the terrain inside is harrowing and dangerous, the stress endured by the lovers in their such is unbearable and there are creatures too dark and too foul to be named lurking in every shadowy corner ready to strike and kill anything they could consider food. Every couple to return successfully, though, wound up marrying and staying together in happiness for life – which is more than I can say for the newer trails."

Now Robin was confused. The old ways seemed much deadlier and much more effective – none of his knowledge on Tamaranian society told him that changing to a more civilized, less effective way of picking their leader's lover was something likely to occur. "So why did you change to the new way, anyway?"

The King shrugged his massive shoulders. "No one could watch the old way. With the new way, there's a stadium, and everyone on Tamaran can watch the lover's and cheer them on. However, my people must focus on the war crimes being committed against us now; not entertainment. What say you Master Robin? Though they be outdated, shall you partake in the Trails of Old?"

Robin stood up from the chair and looked the King in his eyes. "We both know that decision isn't up to me. I've been doing everything for Starfire, whatever her answer is; is my answer too."

The Queen smiled, as if she'd known this was coming all along; and her husband seemed to once again be impressed by Robin's manner in answering his question. Myand'r's response wasn't hard to predict. "Then we shall await her answer, though we hardly need too." There was a pause. "Has she awakened yet?"

Robin's voice dropped a little. "She was still asleep when I left. Actually, I haven't really seen her since the attack. We've been sleeping in shifts so that one of us is awake to keep and eye on Raven and Beast Boy."

The Queen nodded in understanding. They hadn't seen Starfire since the attack either; their duties as monarchs had kept them from their responsibility as parents and they'd been forced to have faith in her friends to look after her. It was apparent that faith had been well placed. "Then return to the infirmary Master Robin; go be with your friends."

Robin smiled at the Queen and bowed one final time. "Thank your, Your Grace, I'll do just that."

That is exactly what he did. Robin made his way swiftly out of the throne room, his spirits significantly higher than they were when he went in; and retraced his steps back to the infirmary. Upon arriving he was delighted to find it hadn't changed much; at least not on the outside. Cyborg and Raven were still awake, and apparently, their breakfast had arrived. Cyborg offered a wave as he munched down on something that Robin wouldn't have eaten for all the money on this world or his own. Raven was poking the contents of her own plate with her fork, apparently trying to decide on how eatable it was.

"How'd it go?" Raven asked.

"Better than I thought. They want us to go through a much quicker, much deadlier version of the trails. I'm leaving it up to Starfire, though." Robin summed up the entire meeting as he walked across the room and sat down on the edge of the redhead's bed. "She's still asleep, I see."

"Yeah, but we all know Star and the trails. I don't think she'd be too mad if you woke her for this one buddy." Cyborg's big white grin was stained with tiny bits of the whatever-it-was that he was eating.

"Yeah, but our eardrums and your back might thank you if you let her sleep." Raven added in her usual fashion.

Very little seemed to have changed since he left; but that was not the case. There was a massive change about to take place – one that would affect the Teen Titans for the rest of their lives. Beast Boy was not going to wake up anytime soon, and he was not leaving the room. His body was still in need of serious healing – but his soul was another story.

* * *

"Dude, my head hurts."

Beast Boy had always liked talking. To himself, to others, to animals – he was a talker. Which is why it wasn't strange for him to be announcing to no one that his head hurt as he sat up and rubbed his gloved hand through his messy green hair. What was strange, however, was the fact that he _could_ run his hand through his hair – or the fact he could even wake up at all.

Memories rushed into his mind and suddenly Beast Boy realized this wasn't right.

"Oh crap."

Hadn't he been shot by Slade's creepy eye thing? Wasn't he on the verge of death, lying in bed across from Raven in the infirmary? Well if that was true how did he wind up sitting on his bum in . . .

It was now that Beast Boy took in his surroundings, and it was now that he became genuinely terrified. He was sitting on the ground. Where he was, he didn't know – but it wasn't the kind of place he wanted to be. The ground was like a desert, nothing but sand and stone for as far as the eye could see in any direction. Old gray dust and fresh beach sand mixed over rocks that looked older than anything the frightened Titan had even seen before.

That was the ground. The sky was black. Just black. In every direction. No clouds, no trees, no buildings, no people. Just an empty void.

"Welcome to the Astral Plane, Beast Boy."

He was about as confused as he could possibly be about where he was, how he'd gotten there, and what had happened to the injuries he'd been covered in when Slade's voice reached his ears. That answered all of questions. He didn't know the actual answers, but knowing Slade was involved was enough. Beast Boy jumped up and transformed into bear, whipping around to find Slade and Trigon standing side by side and staring at him as if he was an amusing sideshow act at the circus.

"Don't bother fighting us. I extracted your soul-self for this meeting; I take it my daughter _has_ explained what a soul-self is?" Trigon asked.

Ding. Now things made sense. Beast Boy returned to his normal form and stood with his arms crossed. "Kinda."

"It doesn't matter." Slade was quick to cut them off. "We can't hurt you and you can't hurt us; not in this world. You were brought here for the purpose of making a deal."

This time Beast Boy laughed. Not just snickers or giggled, but full-blown laughter. He had to restrain himself from falling to his knees. "Dude, what in the HELL would make you think I'd make a deal with you? Hell-ooooo? Do you like have no memory of the past or what?"

"What I have is a way to end Raven's existence the second you piss me off." Slade replied, narrowing his eye. "Which you're about to do. Explain Trigon."

At this Beast Boy's laughter ceased and his attention was full and undivided. Trigon apparently had been waiting and he launched into an explanation that normally would have confused Beast Boy had it been about anyone else but Raven.

"While she was recovering from our last encounter, I entered Raven's mind and left her a present; a piece of me. A piece of my Soul-Self, actually. You see the Soul-Self is a tricky thing. If even a tiny piece of it is destroyed, the entire soul will begin to deteriorate and eventually turn into nothing. Without a soul, you have no emotion, no consciousness. You are nothing but an empty shell. However a soul can be broken without being destroyed; as mine is now. Moreover, that piece of my soul inside Raven can, and will, devour her soul the moment I tell it too. Then all that's left is an empty shell, complete with all of Raven's powers and none of her personality – and my soul will be driving it."

"Bottom line is this." Slade said. "You either do what we say when we say it, or we turn your girlfriend into a soulless killing machine. What do you say, do we have a deal?"

Beast Boy had noticed two flaws in this plan. One, if Raven found Trigon's soul inside her, and what they said about souls was true; this could be her big chance to destroy her father forever. More importantly two; Beast Boy was fried like a poptart that had been in the toasted too long.

"Okay, seriously, for Raven I'll do it; but how am I suppose to help you when I can't do anything in the real world?"

Slade shook his head. "You underestimate me. Trigon is going to use his new connection to Raven to strengthen her healing powers, and to implant the suggestion that she should try healing you in her head. You'll be back in your own body, good as news, in no time."

Beast Boy had to think quickly. "And you don't think Raven will be just a little suspicious if she can all of the sudden heal injures as bad as mine without killing herself?"

"You read too much into these things." Slade sighed. "And I don't feel like explaining them any longer. We're sending you back to your body now, Beast Boy. All you have to do is wait. Of course if you try to tell Raven or anyone else about this experience you know what will happen. Just wait, that's it. We'll contact you again soon with your actual orders."

Before Beast Boy could speak, it was over.

* * *

Raven's courage had finally grown enough to try her breakfast. The fork that had speared the green-slimy thing was just outside her mouth when her mind exploded with a fierce heat. She dropped the fork, cried out in pain, and fell forward onto her lap. The breakfast plat went spilling all over the bed and Cyborg and Robin were at her side in a split second, both of them reaching hands out to her shoulders and each asking the same question.

"Raven!"

"Yo, you okay Rae?"

"I'm . . . fine."

Raven sat up. The pain that had been severe enough to knock her out a moment ago was gone. The burning sensation that reminded her of hell itself had also vanished. In their place was the foolish confidence that she could do something she knew she could not; heal Beast Boy. She couldn't explain where the idea had come from – perhaps her emotions were working in overdrive again – but she honestly felt that if she tried too, she could heal him right now.

It was impossible, suspicious, and bizarre; and she was going to try. Normally Raven would never have given into such an idea; but perhaps because of circumstances, promises and recent events she was a different person, and she was going to try.

"I can heal him." Raven muttered, making even less sense to her than she did to Cyborg and Robin. Cyborg looked over at Beast Boy and then back at Raven.

"Yeah, you can. Then _you'd_ be the one whose all messed up. Look, Rae, BB'll be fine. Don't think you have too –"

"No." Raven said not only cutting Cyborg off but also actually pushing him away and climbing out of bed. "I can heal him and I'll be fine."

Raven had been near the edge of Beast Boy's bed; and Robin cut her off. She attempted to go around him to the right and he blocked her again. This caused Raven to narrow her eyes; which only made Robin narrow his right back.

"Raven, you're powers don't work that way."

"Don't get in my way Robin." Raven warned.

"Don't give me a reason too." Robin replied. "What your doing will only hurt you; emotionally _and_ physically."

"Which is perfectly fine when we're talking about you and Starfire; but out of the question when it comes to Beast Boy and I?" Raven shot back. Robin stopped dead, unable to answer that question at all. Though he didn't want too and knew what it meant to do so; Robin stepped aside.

Raven continued to Beast Boy's bedside and was careful in climbing up onto his bed. She didn't want to aggravate his injuries, even if she knew they'd be gone soon. She was suspicious of her newfound knowledge – of course, she was. She was Raven and she second-guessed everything in life. That's why it had taken her so long to find her recent happiness in Beast Boy, because she'd always second-guessed it. Well, not this time. If she felt so strongly about this she was going to just do it – consequences be damned.

Raven bent forward and pressed her hands against Beast Boy's burnt chest as lightly as she could. Then she closed her eyes and began to concentrate – and her hands did the rest. The room became very dark, the only source of light being the white flaring up under her fingertips and blinding anyone looking at it. Robin and Cyborg both shielded their eyes and Raven's were already closed. It seemed to last an eternity to her, but in reality it was only a few moments.

Then the lights came back on, the white flashes went away, and Beast Boy's body was back to normal. Raven stared down at him in disbelief of what had just happened. His body was healed. There wasn't a single scratch, cut, scrape, bruise, burn or beat mark anywhere to be seen. Even his goofy haircut had been fixed. She waited with anticipation and a held breath.

Then Beast Boy's nose twitched. A moment later, his eyes opened and he looked up at Raven, whose face had broken out into a mixture of amazement and happiness. Beast Boy was not quite as happy. She had healed him. She had saved his life, and now her own was in danger. Of course if she found that out, she would die. At least the Raven he knew would die. Therefore, Beast Boy did all he could do.

"Hiya Rae." He said shakily as leaned upward into a sitting stance.

"Beast Boy." Raven tried to contain herself, but she didn't try long. A flash of a second later and she had her arms around him, hugging him tightly and crying into his shoulder; all her usual reserved nature forgotten. Beast Boy smiled weakly and returned the hug. On the one hand, it felt good to be able to hug her again – but on the other . . .

She, and probably everyone else, would have been better off if Beast Boy had just died when Slade attacked him.

* * *

**A/N**: This one is much shorter than the usual chapter length; but I honestly have nothing else I can add to this one. Anyway, chapter eleven will be underway shortly. I'm trying to update as often as possible; but quality is more important to me, so sometimes it takes longer than I'd like. A few reviews would make me smile, by the way._ -wink wink nudge nudge-_

**-Brandon**


	11. Combat and Cliffhangers

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Eleven**

"**Combat and Cliffhangers"**

**A/N**: Welcome back to AAAFY, home of the crab-wing. On today's menu, we're starting with an entree of Robin/Starfire soufflé. That not your thing? Try our action-packed Bruce-and-Galfore combat crumpets; complete with a hearty helping of our Slade & Trigon Sauce. _Still_ hungry? Then eat Beast Boy on a bun.

* * *

The mood in the infirmary was light-hearted and cheerful; a pleasant change from the usual ominous cloud of threats, foreshadowing and terror that had clung to this trip so far. Beast Boy and Raven's reunion wasn't filled with many words, and aside from her emotional hug when Gar had first woken up, neither Raven nor Beast Boy had shed any tears over what happened. It was an unspoken agreement; it had happened, and it was over now. The who's, why's, how's and where's were unimportant. With that in mind the young lovers who'd been both blessed and cursed thus far lay next to one another in Beast Boy's bed, refraining from speaking or sleeping; merely holding hands and staring off into space. Each was deep in thought about different things; things much too dark to discuss with other people – but they had found some level of happiness and weren't in a rush to ruin it.

Robin and Cyborg had both been there and had seen the reunion, and neither of them questioned it in any way. They hadn't spoken then and found no reason to speak now; and so they slowly drifted off to their own important tasks. Cyborg was still on his bed and he was preoccupied with his arm canon. On their last trip by, he had asked one of the nurses for a tool kit so he could get to work on his repairs, and now he was doing just that. Tamaranian tools were small, effective and downright fun to use. It was evident that Cyborg would be sneaking a lot of the advanced technology home with him when this entire ordeal ended and it was time to return to Earth.

As for Robin, he did as he expected too – he sat on the edge of Starfire's bed and worried about her. It was his responsibility as her friend, boyfriend, and fellow Titan to do this; and he did it quite well. He had not reached a level of worry that made him obsessive, and yet the emotion remained in his eyes clear for anyone who was looking for it. Starfire was a warrior, and a superhero. She was also a naïve young woman who had stolen the heart of Dick Grayson. Right now, she needed him; and he was here. It was simple. He wasn't sure if she'd stay like this for hours or days; but he'd be here all the while.

Then, as suddenly as everything else that seemed to happen, Starfire began to stir. Robin could hear her moan softly and by the time his eyes had refocused to her face she was scrunching up her nose and awakening. Her mouth opened in a yawn, and once she had finished with that, her emerald eyes finally opened and Robin found himself staring into them.

"Hey." Robin said calmly and simply, in a soft voice. He offered her a smile that was warm and inviting; but she did not return it. Instead, she dropped her eyes down to her lap to avoid his face, and her lips curved into a frown. She skipped the 'hellos' and asked him, in a voice filled with dread, the obvious question.

"What happened?"

Robin's voice remained the same; warm and inviting. He recalled everything from the time she had last been awake until now. She did not say a word about anything until Robin informed her of the "Old Trials". When he told her that it was, in both his and her father's opinion, up to her to decide; that's when she found her words.

Although the words she found were as unexpected as her sudden recovery.

"Is it worth it?" She asked Robin, biting back despair.

"Is what worth it?"

"The Trials. Robin, so many people have died. So much has happened. All of it because of the Trials . . . because of me. If I had turned Shadarias down on Earth –"

"Starfire, stop it. You cannot change the past and worrying about it is pointless. Yes, things could have been different. Yes, some people who died may not have. Yes, you and I are to blame for certain things; but don't say it's because of you. Slade and Trigon are more at fault here than anyone; and we can't change it anyway. Don't cause yourself more pain by stressing over things that have already happened. Instead just tell me one thing; do you still love me?"

Starfire finally returned her eyes to his. "Yes I do."

"Do you want to attempt the trials?"

Again, Starfire's answer was the same: "Yes I do."

"Then we will." Robin responded, thinking that would settle the issue. It did not however.

"Do _you_ want to, Robin? Or at you just doing this for me?" Starfire's eyes seemed to become transfixed on her hands rather than his face, as they so often did in awkward moments like this.

"I'll do anything, anytime, anywhere for you Star." Robin responded without a shred of hesitation or doubt in his voice. "Whether I want to or not; but in this case, yeah, I want too."

This time it did settle the issue. Whatever fears, doubts and worries she had left were either disposed off or locked away by his answer. Starfire was the classic definition of 'hopeless romantic' and she could do nothing more than throw her arms around Robin and pull him into a kiss. Not a bone-breaking hug, or a kiss like the one they would have had before. This was a _kiss_. Too much of a kiss, perhaps, by the reaction of their fellow Titans.

"Eh hem. You're _not_ in private." Raven pointed out.

"Seriously, what's the legal age on Tamaran?" Beast Boy asked Cyborg while trying not to laugh.

"I don't know but I'd find out before we let them keep on like that." Cyborg responded, the act of fixing his canon forgotten.

"We get the point, and you're exaggerating anyway." A red-faced Robin responded after he and Starfire broke apart, turned away from one another and began reflected on why all of their romantic moments always seemed to be ruined by something like this.

Everyone had a good laugh. Despite embarrassment, impending doom, secret-agendas and everything else, this was just one of those moments when you have to laugh. One of those times, that always seem to end sooner than you'd like . . .

* * *

In the infirmary of the underground bunker the five heroes our of tale were sharing a laugh; but in the deserts of Tamaran not far away, five others were far from cheery. Among those five were Batman and Galfore; leaders of the search team. The other three were all high-class Tamaranian soldiers who had volunteered for this special assignment. The assignment? Find Slade and Trigon.

With Raven's mental verification that her father was still on Tamaran, and somewhere close to the Royal Palace no less; and the heavy suspicion that Slade was still with him, they had formed this search team. Bruce Wayne's skills in tracking were legendary, and while he may not have the home field (or in this case, planet) advantage; neither did his prey. Galfore did have the advantage and his own skills in finding things that preferred to stay lost were equally impressive to Batman's. The others were trained in recon, search-and-rescue and seek-and-destroy missions by Tamaranian Military standards; and one of them had an award for all three. There was no reason to believe there would be a problem.

So naturally, there _was_ a problem.

"Alright, this is the location." Batman announced at last as the ground treaded over the sandy ground. "Apparently a farmer on his way home spotted a giant red demon in this immediate vicinity. Spread out and keep your eyes open. If you see any sign of Trigon _or_ Slade contact the others. Do not _under any circumstances_ attempt to contact or engage them alone."

"Move out!" Galfore finished and the team did as they were ordered to do. Each of three commandos split up in a different direction, silently hovering across the surface of the ground and keeping their eyes moving as much as they could. The leaders did the same; Galfore floated to his right and made an even more impressive spectacle then the lesser soldiers; while Bruce took to his feet on the left, unable to fly but still managing to leave no trail of any kind.

None of them found a thing; but something found them.

"Chief! We have found dogs of the military crossing into our domain!"

There were cliffs very close to the search party, and they were home to many things. Some of Tamaran's vicious local wildlife made their nest there; and so did the Bandits of Vis'mount, as they were known within the underworld. The Bandits were mostly ex-military, or hardcore thieves who had been united by a Tamaranian war criminal named Vis'mount. Vis'mount himself was dead now; but no one had bothered to change the name of the gang. Now the role of leading them fell to their two meanest members; an ex-colonel in the military named M'stang; and his counterpart, an infamous thief and murdered called Ch'mera.

"Dogs of the military?" M'stang asked the lesser bandit. M'stang was small and skinny for a member of the Tamaranian race. He was tall; almost seven feet; but his muscles and fat were almost none. He wore clothing he'd sewn together himself from the finest fabrics – fabrics he'd gotten by stealing them off the dead bodies of the richest, fattest and noblest people he could find and kill.

"Indeed." A second bandit voiced. "We counted five; they have split up. One of them is an off-worlder, three dress as the military do, and the final is Galfore."

"Galfore?" Ch'mera spoke this time. He was the exact opposite of his partner. M'stang was smaller and skinner than the others, while Ch'mera was a giant even by this planets expectations. He stood almost nine feet tall, and his frame was solid muscle. M'stang had become a leader because he used his brains in battle and could always manage to strike a fatal blow; Ch'mera had become a leader because he simply did not lose fights. He killed everyone who came up against him; either with his muscles or his starbolts. It was not that no one could kill him – for of course, they _could_ – he simply believed in never giving them a chance.

"Yes sir, I recognized him." One of the lesser bandits hissed proudly. "I do not know the others, but I know him. Maybe when we kill him I can –"

"I will kill him." Ch'mera announced. "I care not for his belongings, only his life. I will kill him alone. The others and their belongings are nothing to me."

Not even M'stang would have argued with him now. Ch'mera had a presence to him that told everyone else his word was final; and no one changed his mind. His demeanor told them the time for talk was over; now was the time for action. The discussions on bloodshed had ended, and the actual combat was about to begin.

Galfore was bent low over the ground inspecting a possible clue. The impression of a demon's hoof was visible, and while it was only one, it was proof that Trigon had been here not long ago. One of Tamaran's famous violent sandstorms was blowing in the south and moving this direction – another problem. The sandstorms would make tracking the fiends impossible; the wind was too fast for flying and the sand would cover any clues still here. Besides, the debris blown around by the massive winds could tear a man to shreds. Time was of the essence.

"GRAH!"

Galfore's ears picked up the noise fast enough for him to move aside as Ch'mera came smashing down into the ground. The bandit had tried to land directly on Galfore's back; which would have smashed him flat. Galfore was safe, but upon turning to face the massive form of Ch'mera he knew that was about to change. Ch'mera had already recovered from his missed assault and was staring down at Galfore.

"Bandits!" Galfore cried out as his eyes flared green and he flew forward to meet his new enemy. Ch'mera did not move, he merely extended his arms and caught Galfore's punches. Then he squeezed his fists overtop of Galfore's. Despite his great strength, Galfore was nothing beneath Ch'mera's superior might. Galfore fell to his knees and his squinted his eyes closed.

The others had all become involved in the fighting by now. The three soldiers had all turned upon Galfore's cry of "Bandits!" and had flown back to meet their leader; and each of them had instead met two bandits on their path. There were two bandits for each solider and each of the bandits was roughly the same size. The soldiers had attacked with starbolts and punches; and the bandits had responded by doing the exact same thing – they did not do it any better, they just did it twice at once.

As for Batman, he had found himself confronted with three of the bandits. He however had proven to be more of a challenge than his human frame made him appear. The first of the bandits had merely shaken off any danger Bruce could have presented and charged forward stupidly and loudly; Bruce had thrown a handful of smoke-bombs at his enemies chest; blinding and confusing him and making him the perfect target for an explosive bat-a-rang to the follow the smoke bombs on the same path. While the first bandit went down and the other two were still confused and partially blind, Bruce threw two more bat-a-rangs and watched in satisfaction as both bandits joined the first on the ground.

However, M'stang had been watching. He was unimpressed by the human's appearance on the battlefield but had learned quickly that it was a stroke of luck. Watching three of his fellow bandits fall was delightful – he had been jealous of Ch'mera hogging the good battle, and now he had found a foe just as tempting as Galfore. M'stang did not wait; speed was his greatest advantage over everyone else.

He flew towards Bruce; who turned around and whipped another explosive bat-a-rang right at the secondary leader of the bandits. M'stang's eyebeams destroyed it in mid-air and Wayne was caught off-guard as M'stang's superior speed allowed him to fly through the smoke and drive his fist into Bruce's stomach before the smoke has cleared. It was enough to send the Dark Knight to his knees.

The three soldiers were unconscious or dead, Galfore and Batman were both on their knees. It looked as if the battle was assured. M'stang need only deliver a killing blow with his fist, and Ch'mera was merely toying with Galfore. The greatest bandits on Tamaran had defeated the team that had set out to find two of the most dangerous criminals in existence.

"We could always let the bandits finish them off." Slade pointed out as he surveyed the scene from atop the nearby cliffs, his single eye watching in a mixture of delight and disappointment, as Batman was so easily overpowered.

"No, we need them kept alive. At least until Beast Boy delivers the message. Remember, _we don't change the plan_." Trigon responded with sarcasm that made his daughter's look weak.

"Bitten by my own bullet, I see." Slade responded with a laugh. "Well then we'll just have to save them, won't we? You take the oversized redhead; I'll make sure the Dark Knight keeps breathing."

Batman was not completely out of tricks. His body was failing, but his mind was as vigilant as ever. Reaching a shaky hand down to his utility belt, he hit the distress beacon built into the buckle. The distress signal being broadcasted would be heading directly to a corresponding beacon that Robin carried on his belt. True, it had been many years since Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson had actually been partners – but the signal still worked. Wayne had long ago made one universal signal that was sent to many different people at many different locations whenever that button was pressed. The only person on Tamaran who could receive the signal was Robin, of course; and Bruce was praying it would reach him fast.

However, the sandstorm that had worried Galfore earlier was on the move. Moreover, the signal would not be able to broadcast until it moved out of the way. Time was not on their side.

"I grow tired of these toys." Ch'mera griped, turning to face M'stang and the other remaining bandits. "Let us just kill them now."

Apparently, the fun of beating the unconscious bodies of the search party was gone, and it was time to snuff the last traces of life from the fallen, ransack their corpses, and then wait for the next group of unlucky souls. M'stang looked up from where he had been watching Batman and nodded his head.

"Yes, it is a good time to finish them off; and begin the looting." M'stang's horrible face twisted into a sick grin at the idea of looting. It was his favorite part; he loved getting new toys, and from what they had seen in the battle, the defeated hero beneath his foot had plenty of those.

Ch'mera placed one of his massive feet on the side of Galfore's head. He planned to crush the smaller Tamaranian beneath his boots; an age-old way of humiliating those you kill. His foot never got the chance to smash. Flames flew like a burning whip, striking and engulfing Ch'mera and sending him sprawling backwards onto the ground. The other bandits, M'stang included, could only watch in shock and awe as the biggest and strongest of their ranks uttered his final scream as his life burnt away.

The bandits had no real love for one another, and loyalty was based solely on fear. No tears were shed over the loss of Ch'mera's life; but fear was created. In the eyes of his fellow bandits, Ch'mera had been invincible; he had never come close to losing a fight to anyone, save Galfore. Now someone had killed Ch'mera in a single blow; and that someone was Slade.

None of the bandits moved. They all saw this new addition to the battlefield and they all knew he was dangerous. Should they attack Slade and attempt to destroy him? Would they be able too? Why was he attacking them, perhaps he was an ally to the people the bandits had tried to rob? None of the answers would matter.

Trigon's sinister sets of eyes glared as they emitted laser beams. The beams were multiple in color and single in purpose; they were meant to kill. Two of the lesser bandits caught beams to the chest. The reaction was the same by both; death, instant and clean. The third bandit had been lucky to have stood between his friends; those on the right and left of him were dead and he was not – yet. Trigon didn't wait, he squeezed one of his fists together and it exploded in flames a moment later; then he hurled his own fireball at the final nameless bandit. Unlike the events with Slade and Ch'mera, the final bandit was killed too quickly to scream.

Now only M'stang was left; and he knew he was going to die. He wasn't sure whether it would be as he ran or as he fought; or which of these two new faces would kill him, but he knew it would happen. The very thought had frozen him on the spot in fear; his only movement now was the shaking of his knees. Slade turned his head to look M'stang in the eyes. Slade's eye then did to M'stang what it had done to Beast Boy – only this time Slade didn't hold his newest power back at all. When the beam of electricity struck M'stang it fried him with such a fury that the thinnest of the bandits disintegrated into a substance like dust.

"That was boring." Slade noted as he looked down at Batman's fallen form. "I'd expected more of a challenge."

"I didn't." Trigon replied as he stooped down over Galfore's broken form. "What should we do with these two?"

Slade turned to look at Galfore's body. They needed these two to survive a little longer; that was clear. If things with Beast Boy proceeded as they were planned, – which Slade was certain they would – then Galfore and Bruce Wayne were of vital importance.

"Exactly what we planned. Use them."

The all-important distress signal – the one Batman had sent with the last doses of his consciousness – had not reached Robin. That did not mean it would not or it could not; it simply _had_ not. The sandstorm was blocking the signal and Robin was blissfully unaware of the danger his former mentor and Galfore were in.

* * *

The kissing incident was still fresh in everyone's minds, but the laughter had died down and a certain level of silence had fallen into the infirmary. Starfire and Robin sat beside one another on her bed, the two now consumed in the task of finding a keepsake for the Old Trials. They needed to find something small enough to fit through the cracks at the top of the cavern; and it had to be something that represented them. Their bond, their love, their friendship – just something about them being together.

It was harder than it sounded.

Cyborg was once again working at his arm cannon, and once again, he was happy. His systems were all running at ninety-percent or better, his human-side was feeling well enough that he didn't need any form of medication or hospitalization, and he had an excuse to use the fancy alien technology; why should he complain?

As for Beast Boy and Raven; they were lying in bed together, not speaking and no longer holding hands. Occasionally they would start a conversation about something, but it quickly slipped into silence. They both seemed to be more interested in their own thoughts. The ironic difference was who was thinking what.

Raven was lost in her happiness; an uncommon event for Raven. Not that she wasn't usually happy, she just didn't think about it too much. In addition, in all fairness, whenever one of her emotions overpowered the others and consumed her mind; it was rarely happiness. It didn't matter now, though, since she was happy and she didn't have a reason to be anything but happy. At least not a reason of which she was aware.

Beast Boy, however, was lost in thoughts of depression, despair and worry. He was often sad; that was nothing new. Whenever he lost at video games, or whenever Cyborg was too busy for a good round of stinkball, or whenever Raven was mad at him, or whenever he tried Starfire's cooking; he was sad. However, genuine depression and despair was another story. A story he _was_ familiar with; and one he hated. Yes, he knew true heartache. Yes, he had been manipulated before. Yes, he had even gone against the other Titan's before. This was different. This wasn't like the past. This was crystal clear.

He could betray his friends, or lose Raven. Either way in his mind, he was no better than Slade.

The waiting was the worst, though. That little spark of hope inside him kept repeating that _maybe_ he could fix this. He didn't know what Slade's orders would be; maybe there would be a way he could warn the Titans – warn Raven – and make all of this work out.

Suddenly Beast Boy felt a sharp, burning pain in his head. Before he could stop himself, he sat up in bed and grabbed his stomach as he sank his teeth into his lower lip. He was seconds away from transferring his hands from his stomach to his head when Raven spoke up.

"Hungry?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Huh? Yeah, _yeah_ I am." Beast Boy might have caught his first lucky break all day. "Think I'll head to the kitchen, now that you mention it. Uh, you want anything?"

Raven hadn't been suspicious before; but she was now. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sure I am. I mean, I'm hungry but other than that I'm just peachy." Beast Boy responded, flashing a huge fake grin.

"Right. Well go get your food." Raven was becoming more apprehensive by the minute. "Just be careful, okay?"

Beast Boy had already hopped off the bed and started towards the door when he heard her calling out 'be careful' and whipped around, sweating a bit from his brow. "Why would I need to be careful? I'm just going to the kitchen Rae."

Raven was _really _chary now. "Because you almost got _killed_ last time you were in the kitchen. Is something wrong?"

"No, I just don't worry as much as you do." Beast Boy responded, feeling the pain in his head kick in again and knowing his time was running out. "I'll be fine Rae, and I'll see you soon."

Beast Boy turned around and exited the infirmary after that, his eyes closed as he tried to bite back the tears as he realized the full impact of what he was about to do. Slade was calling him; probably to give him his first orders. That meant this was it. This is where he chose between allowing himself to be used as a pawn in Slade and Trigon's scheme; or condemning Raven's existence.

He still had no choice.

Beast Boy hurried back up the underground passageway and came out of the underground bunker in the kitchen. Of course he wasn't really headed to the kitchen – he needed to be someplace more private for when his soul-self was taken back to the astral plane. So he moved faster, out of the kitchen and quickly to the closest bathroom. Once inside he slipped into one of the stalls, locked the door and before he could ponder as to what would happen next his soul-self was taken from his body and he found himself, once again, in the barren emptiness of the Astral Plane.

"Good work on getting here." Slade congratulated him as both he and Trigon appeared in the same fashion as last time. "That was much easier than you expected, wasn't it?"

"Cut the crap." Beast Boy snapped, determined not to put up with a single ounce of their taunting more than he had too. "You have something for me to do or not?"

"Somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed today, I see. Here I thought having Raven to cuddle up with would improve your mood. Or does she make it worse? We could always replace your Raven with an even better one; a soulless mass-murdering one, would that help?"

Beast Boy's patience was wearing thin; but he had no choice. "What is it you called for, _Master_?" He asked through gritted teeth. Slade and Trigon seemed pleased enough to give him orders now.

"This will be a simple task; we're merely shuffling the deck before we deal. There is a beacon on Robin's utility belt; you are to disconnect it. If you can't, you are to destroy it. How you do this is up to you; as long as that beacon loses the ability to receive signals." Slade's so-called simple task seemed complicated to Beast Boy.

"Why?" Beast Boy asked.

"Batman and Galfore are lying in the desert dying. Batman sent a distress signal to that beacon; a signal that has not arrived yet because of a sandstorm. We do not want it to arrive, so you are going to make sure it does not." Slade explained without hesitation.

Beast Boy was horrified. His eyes widened as the full-impact of his "simple task" became chillingly clear. His choice was anything but simple. If he did as they said, Batman and Galfore would die and he would be assigned a new, probably worse, assignment. If he did not, Raven would be destroyed and her body used to kill everything around her – starting with Robin, Starfire and Cyborg as her first victims.

How was he supposed to live with himself, either way?

"This is merely the first task, Beast Boy. Don't let me down so soon." Slade taunted, stepping closer to the green titan and reaching a hand out towards him. Beast Boy jumped backwards and snarled.

"Get away from me you sadistic freak!"

Slade's amusement only grew. "My, my, such a temper. Of course, you realize any attempt of yours to attack either myself or Trigon –"

"Yeah, I know, I know. You'll turn Raven into a soulless killing machine and finish off my friends. We both know I have to obey you; that doesn't mean I have to like it." Beast Boy was glaring and barring his teeth.

"Well, if you understand everything so clearly then perhaps it's best you hurry up; we wouldn't want a sudden change of heart, would we?" Slade turned to Trigon next. "Send him back."

Trigon grinned and waved one of his massive hands; the next thing Beast Boy knew he was back in his own body – which was still sitting on the floor, leaning against the toilet.

"Dude, this is just overkill." He sighed to himself as he pushed up from the bathroom floor.

"What's overkill? And what are you doing in the bathroom anyway BB? I thought you were headin' to the kitchen?"

Beast Boy froze. The voice belonged to Cyborg, and it was coming from the next stall over. Could he know something? Was that possible, and if it was, did it bode good news or bad? What should he say, or do?

Beast Boy stopped this random thinking. Of course, he did not know anything. Beast Boy had been in the Astral Plane, not here. The only thing Cyborg could have possibly been aware of was the fact his friend was recently sitting on the bathroom floor.

"I _am_ heading to the kitchen Cy, but I had to come here first. As for why, dude, should be obvious."

With those final words, Beast Boy exited the stall and headed towards the kitchen. His heart was heavy, his head his still, and he had no clue how he would be able to disconnect or destroy Robin's beacon in time. All he knew was that he had no other choice.

Did he?

* * *

**A/N**: Someone called me "evil" because of how I ended chapter ten – which yeah, I guess chapter ten's ending was evil; but if _that_ was evil, what's this one? Hmm… if anyone has the answer to that question; or a question of their own; why not answer/ask it in a review?

Feedback's always appreciated, Chapter Twelve will be up ASAP, until next time . . .

**Peace Out,**

**Brandon Rice (Golden-Sama)**


	12. Stepping Forward, Looking Backwards

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Twelve**

"**Stepping Forward, Looking Backwards"**

**A/N**: I do not want to ruin too much, as there is a few big shocks in this chapter. I tried to make it as confusion-free as possible; and I tried to clear up any confusion that _needed_ to be created as well. Still, if you have any questions about it you can email me or ask in a review. I am happy to answer any questions, anytime – as long as it does not spoil the plot.

Oh, sorry about all the cliffhanger evilness – but seriously, the chapter was called "Combat and Cliffhangers", what did you expect?

* * *

Beast Boy's feet were dragging with every step he took. It was unfortunate that things had to be this way, but it was also out of his hands. All he could do now was procrastinate as long as he could – which was nowhere near long enough. The sandstorm was moving, and his time to deactivate or destroy Robin's beacon was running out. He had to hurry and accomplish his task; or Raven would suffer a fate far worse than a simple death. She would _become_ death. She would become an instrument of death – and it would be Beast Boy's fault.

All of it was his fault. Raven had always guarded her emotions; she had always prevented this sort of thing. She had managed to keep her father from doing something like this all her life – and then Beast Boy came along. It had not started with this trip. He had managed to make her open up in the past as well. There was the time he and Cyborg had found her enchanted mirror, the time Beast Boy's "inner beast" had come out, the events with Melchior – this sort of thing had been a long time coming. Finally, it was here.

What could he do? If the beacon was broken, Bruce Wayne and Galfore would die. They would be alone, beaten, bruised and unconscious with everything from alien lifeforms to sandstorms to keep them company. On the other hand, if he _didn't_ do this Raven would die. The Raven he knew – the Raven he loved – would cease to exist. Instead, her body and powers would be under the guidance and control of Trigon; and as soon as he took control, he would have the means, ability and opportunity to kill the Teen Titans. Then what? If Raven's body was used to murder the Titans, then who could save Bruce and Galfore? They would die anyway.

That's when it hit Beast Boy. The horribly simple answer. Destroy the beacon. If Bruce and Galfore were going to die no matter what, then they would be the sacrifice. Maybe, just maybe, the time they would buy him would be enough for him to figure a way out of this whole mess. Maybe it was just postponing the inevitable. Either way, he had made up his mind – and either way he was sure he would never be able to live with himself when everything was said and done – _If_ he was still alive when everything was said and done.

Aside from his moral issues, Beast Boy had one last problem to solve before he reached the infirmary. He may have decided that he _would_ destroy the beacon; now he needed to know _how _he would. The beacon was built into the buckle of Robin's utility belt – and Robin did not just leave his belt lying around. He had many of them, a fact Beast Boy knew from experience. He still remembered that light-hearted time when Robin had gone to find "The True Master" and his friends had all wound up dressing like Robin in his absence (even Raven had admitted that the mask was 'cool'). However, all of his extra belts were on Earth. There was only one on Tamaran – and Robin was too responsible to just leave it lying around.

_If_ Robin took the belt off at all, it would be ready at his bedside. Robin was awake; so odds were it would be around his waste. The sandstorm would have long-since moved on by nightfall, and then it would be too late. So how was Beast Boy supposed to destroy the belt buckle? (He had already ruled out deactivating the beacon – Robin could probably reactivate it and Beast Boy never had much luck with electronics that required more than a simple "on/off" button.)

Beast Boy had no ideas, and he was now outside the infirmary door. He could procrastinate no longer – this was the decisive moment. Wild ideas flash through his head. He could run inside, grab the belt and simply smash it without any explanation. That would definitely raise suspicion. He could sneak in through the air ducts, create a distraction, turn into a spider, sneak down on a webbing line, snatch the belt, sneak back up, destroy the beacon, sneak back down, replace the belt, head back into the hallway and resume human form, and _then_ enter the infirmary. Although seemed very complicated and would require precise timing. (His math skills were as weak as his knowledge of complex electronics.)

He sighed. He had to face facts his luck had run out.

The youngest of the Titans reached forward and opened the door of the infirmary; and he stepped inside. If his luck was truly gone, he may as well face it now. He would act like a man and accept the consequences; perhaps in this important moment he would find the solution he was praying for so desperately. Beast Boy knew that, in reality, someone would probably die because of what happened when he walked in that room. That was the cold-hearted truth. Still, it did _not_ stop him from being hopeful. There was always a chance, right? Surely, there could be some strange, ironic twist of fate that could save everyone; or at least buy him some extra time?

As Beast Boy entered the infirmary, the first things he noticed were his friends. Robin, Starfire and Raven; all awake and all sitting on Robin's bed. Robin in the middle, Starfire at his right and Raven at his left. Another thing they all shared in common was their focus; all of them were staring down at Robin's utility belt, which currently sat in his lap. Once Beast Boy entered the room, they all looked up at him. Beast Boy was not sure what he should do, say or think.

Coincidence?

"_Finally_." Raven was the first to speak. "Maybe now we'll get some answers."

Beast Boy felt a lump form in his throat. Did they know? Could they know? It looked like they might. That made no sense. If they knew – if _Raven_ knew – they would be trying to stop Trigon! Had they stopped him? No, they couldn't have. So what was going on?

"We could use your help Beast Boy, if you're willing." Robin confessed which suddenly caused Beast Boy's confusion to rise. He blinked several times and it must have been rather obvious that he had no clue what was going on, because Raven rolled her eyes and began to explain.

"We're trying to find something for the lovebirds to use in the Trials as their keepsake. We figured Robin's belt was a good place to start; but we were wrong. You want to take a look?"

It was like winning the lottery. He'd come up here fully expecting he'd have to try something stupid to get the belt; and fully expecting to fail and cause death to collect another victim or two – and instead he was handed the perfect chance to complete Slade's request without anyone getting hurt. The words "too good to be true" kept flashing in his mind; but Beast Boy was _not_ going to pass up this chance.

"Sure Rae, I'll look." Beast Boy replied, a genuinely upbeat tone taking over his voice. Raven seemed convinced because her next move was to pick up the belt and toss it across the room; Beast Boy missed the catch. He tried to catch it but missed; the belt went over his shoulder and wound up smashing against one of the opposite beds on the wall. Beast Boy shut his eyes, fearing the worst while he listened to Raven mumble something (whether it was an apology for her bad throw, or a sarcastic remark about Beast Boy's bad catch he'd never know). Beast Boy walked over to the belt, fearing his one chance was blown.

Then he picked it up. The buckle was broken – as was the homing beacon receiver inside.

"Anything broken?" The sounds of Robin rising from the bed as he asked the question had reached Beast Boy's elfish ears and Beast Boy was quick to turn around with a sheepish grin.

"Well . . . kinda." Beast Boy chuckled nervously; but Robin shook his head.

"It's just the buckle, no big deal. None of the important stuff was damaged." Robin turned back to the bed and then froze. "Well, the homing beacon was probably messed up; but that can wait till we're back on earth to fix, never use it anyway."

Beast Boy could hardly believe it. Had he just gotten away with it?

"You are forgetting one thing boy-wonder." Raven spoke darkly. Beast Boy could feel his heart stop and re-start. "You should probably take the belt back from the klutz I call a boyfriend." She turned to Beast Boy at this point. "You're clumsy, face facts."

Beast Boy's face lit up with one of the biggest smiles he ever had. It was short-lived, though, and only the beginning of it was real. He let the smile fade as he made his way over to return the belt. He had done it. He had destroyed the beacon and managed to do so without raising suspicion; which meant that Raven was safe, at least for now. Moreover, with the chances of Raven suddenly losing her soul and being transformed into Trigon's newest toy were now reduced to zero for the time being; Robin, Starfire, Cyborg and Beast Boy himself were once again safe around her.

Bruce and Galfore however, were not safe. They were not here; they were bleeding to death in the desert; and Beast Boy could do nothing to change that.

* * *

He was lying to her, and she wanted to know why.

Raven was the quiet one. She was the strange, gothic titan who stayed in her room or buried herself in her books and did not interact with the team as much as she should have. It was fortunate that she was not big on gossip; because as the quiet one she knew more about the Teen Titans than they knew about themselves. She could read people; and it did not take demonic powers to do it. Between her observations of her friends, her powers, and her recent attachment to Beast Boy, she knew he was hiding something from her.

She did _not_ like it. Raven knew the value of secrets. She knew better than anyone else did. She had kept her share of secrets over the years. The books in her bedroom, the significance of her birthday, and a lot of other stuff that was secret for less dramatic reasons. She also knew that keeping secrets was the dumbest thing someone could do – and the proof was everywhere. Robin had kept his secrets – and people like Slade and Red X had benefited by them. Raven's secrets had aided an ancient dragon, her father, and multiple other psychos in-between. The bottom line was simple; they were the Teen Titans. They were closer than family. There was no legitimate excuse for any secret to be kept – and in ninety percent of the cases, those secrets only lead to pain.

That's why she was so worried. She knew Beast Boy was the one keeping a secret now. She caught the dread in his eyes, even when he was smiling. She could hear the pain in his voice, even during his laughter. He had a secret, and it was a big one. She had to confront him about it; and it had to be sooner rather than later.

Currently Beast Boy was only inches away from her. The four of them still sat on the bed, trying to find a keepsake for Robin and Starfire. In truth only Robin and Starfire had any interest in finding the keepsake – Raven was worried about Beast Boy and he was worried about his secret. The lack of interest in the current task was written on their faces clearly; but Robin and Starfire did not even notice their ennui because of their own obsession.

"Beast Boy." Raven leaned slightly to her right and whispered into his ear; this seemed to shake him awake from his own trance-like state. "Can I talk to you on the terrace?"

She wasn't sure what went through his mind when she said this, but his face quickly went through the full rang of emotions – from preoccupied to worried to happy – and he responded with a "Sure" a moment later. Raven decided it was time then, and she rose from the bed. Beast Boy followed suit and the other pair finally took notice of their friends.

"We'll be back in a few minutes." Raven explained before Robin's mouth had even begun to open. "You two just keep your minds on finding a keepsake – and keep your hands and lips to yourselves, too."

Raven and Beast Boy were free to make their way to the terrace uninterrupted while Robin and Starfire had to blush themselves back into submission before they could resume the hunt for a proper keepsake.

The trip to the terrace was a fast one. Raven and Beast Boy seemed to have an unspoken agreement to move along with all due haste; and that's what they did. The underground bunker was a nice, safe environment but it was also much too confined for this purpose. Soon they had gone back up the escape tunnels, preceded to the second floor of the royal palace, and ended up on a balcony overlooking the small gap between the palace and the outer walls. The watchtowers, still damaged from the earlier combat, loomed in the distance. Soldiers and servants were busy flying and running down below; repairing damages and keeping up the security rounds. None of it mattered to the young lovers who now found themselves alone with one another.

"What are you hiding from me?" Raven asked Beast Boy; she did not look at him. Instead, she leaned on the balcony's railing and looked out at the distance. Beast Boy stood behind her, afraid to approach either the railing or the girl who leaned against it.

"What makes you think –" Beast Boy never finished his sentence.

"You're a horrible liar Beast Boy; I know you're keeping something from me. I just want to know what it is." Raven kept her back turned to him.

"Raven, I swear I don't know –" The second statement remained as unfinished as the first.

"I'm in danger, aren't I?" Raven asked her voice much quieter. She turned around this time too. Her hood was down and her hair was fluttering lightly in the almost non-existence breeze. Her eyes were not angry, or sad or even frightened. They were instead filled with an almost bored understanding.

Beast Boy could not fight it any longer. "Raven, I didn't have a choice! You are in danger, your dad and Trigon have been using me to do things but there is still a chance to stop them! You've gotta look inside your head, your dad put a piece of his soul inside you but if you can find it first and destroy it then he'll be destroy and he can't destroy your soul!"

The explanation was given too fast, and it was mostly gibberish anyway. Raven caught enough of it, however, to understand. The moment she did understand a feeling of relief washed over her. "Beast Boy, I'm not in danger. They used you."

Beast Boy shook his head. "No! You're dad broke off a piece of his soul and it's inside you; and he'll devour your soul and make you a mindless killing machine as soon as I refuse to obey him!"

Raven shook her head. "No he didn't. It is impossible. You _cannot_ break a soul. That isn't how it works."

Beast Boy froze, his eyes suddenly widening in a ugly combination of horror and disbelief. "It isn't?"

"Who are you going to believe, me or my dad?" Raven asked, growing in impatience. "They used you Beast Boy. They used your feelings for me."

Beast Boy could not comprehend this. "No! What about when you _healed_ me! It was because your dad –""

"I healed you because I had confidence. My dad didn't help me one bit. He just took credit for it."

It was becoming much too clear to Beast Boy. Raven was _not_ in danger. She never had been. Trigon's story about sneaking into her mind and leaving a piece of his soul was, as she had said, a total lie. He had been manipulated.

"So . . . So I just let them use me?" Beast Boy asked, finally able to accept the horrible truth. "You were never in any danger . . . I was just stupid. I let Slade manipulate me again."

"Yeah, you did. I'm sorry if you were looking for compassion, but you did let Slade manipulate you. Just like with Terra. The difference is this time you have the power to do something about it. We're not going to die because of this Beast Boy – I'm not going to let us." Raven walked forward.

This was harder on her than he could imagine. She wanted to be the compassionate, understanding girlfriend. She wanted to hug him and tell him it was all going to work out; but she could not. She was not going to lie to him – he had done a lot of damage to their side. He had screwed up big time and it was going to lead to big problems. Still, she was not going to let things end like this. They were not going to die in misery. If they failed, if Slade and Trigon were the ultimate victors, if Tamaran was their final resting place – fine. That did not mean they had to give up. That did not mean it was going to be an easy victory for the villains.

"Beast Boy, what did you do for them? I have to know. Everything they made you do; you have to tell me right now if you want to have even the slightest chance of fixing it."

Beast Boy sighed. Raven was standing directly in front of him now, and he could feel her desire to embrace him. He shared that desire; but he also shared the knowledge that that would not be happening now. "Really not that much. They wanted me to destroy Robin's receiver on his belt; which happened anyway."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "_Why_?"

Suddenly Beast Boy remembered, his eyes widened in horror and he opened his mouth. "Bruce and Galfore! Raven they're still out there in the desert! Slade and Trigon left them out there to die and made me choose between them and you; but now we –"

"Can save them? Yeah, we can. Shush." Raven closed her eyes and quickly went to work. The big picture was becoming clearer and clearer by the moment and it looked like luck was finally shifting sides and working for the Titans. The sandstorm that had blocked the rescue beacon's signal had not moved – but it could not keep Raven's mental powers away.

"I know where they are." She announced. "They're alive, but we have to hurry."

Beast Boy nodded. "Right!"

There was not need for another word. Raven took his hand, gave it a quick squeeze, and then engulfed them both in black light. The next moment a large, black raven made entirely of black lights flew from the terrace of the palace and headed out for the desert; determined to find and rescue Batman and Galfore before it was too late.

Many people saw the giant black raven as it flew. Many of the soldiers and workers became curious as it what it was or why it was flying away so fast. Myand'r and Luand'r, who were so far behind current events they were still awaiting Robin and Starfire's answer as to whether or not they'd be attempting the Old Trials, also spotted the bird. Their curiosity grew rapidly and they began to suspect something was going on they had not heard about.

* * *

Of all the people to witness the bird's flight, though, no one was more delighted than the pair who stood watching from the wreckage of one of the watchtowers.

"You see Trigon; once again we're right on schedule." Slade smirked. "Beast Boy knows we used him and now he and Raven are rushing off to save their friends; exactly as we planned."

"Leaving us ample time to sneak inside the bunker and enchant Robin and Starfire's keepsake." Trigon replied with a sinister smile slipping across his face. "Things are working out better than we could ever have hoped for."

"Yes. Still, we have to be on our highest alert." Slade warned. "Every step closer to our true goal puts us one step closer to danger. No matter how perfectly we have planned in the past, something had always managed to go wrong. This time _must_ be different."

"It will be." Trigon agreed. "Now you'd best get going if you are to follow those two; remember we still need them alive. Just make sure they don't get back too soon."

"There's no reason to worry." Slade responded before he turned and jumped off the side of the tower. He was not worried about the guards or the added security – he'd proven time and time again that Tamaran's security was nothing more than a joke compared to his skills and training. Slade quickly headed off in the same direction the enormous black raven had.

Trigon watched Slade for a moment before turning around. With his daughter gone there was no one here capable of sensing the demon's presence; and that was how he liked it. A moment later Trigon concentrated on himself and his flesh changed color. Instead of a red, leathery-hide he was now a chameleon – his skin was reflecting the colors around him, making him the next best thing to invisible.

Satisfied with his disguise, Trigon began his own journey. He was going to walk down to the underground infirmary and launch the next phase in the plans – which were going flawlessly.

* * *

The door of the underground infirmary opened with a swish; and Cyborg stepped inside. He did not bother to close the door behind him; instead, he headed over to the middle of the room and noticed it was much emptier than it had been when he left.

"Are you two still looking for a keepsake?" Cyborg asked as he approached Robin and Starfire, who had gone from searching Robin's utility belt to looking through Starfire's luggage. They had sent for their luggage from the spaceship and it had arrived only a few moments ago.

"Yeah." Robin responded, not looking up at his metallic-friend. Instead, Robin's eyes were focused on a strange looking purple shaft he had found underneath one of Starfire's socks. "What about this thing Star?"

Starfire looked down and shook her head. Then she quickly snatched the strange Tamaranian thing from her boyfriend's hand and stuffed it back in the sock. "No, that would not be appropriate."

Robin shrugged, although he had to admit he was curious to find out what the strange thing had been. Suddenly his eyes widened as the answer hit him. The strange thing! Not the one he had found in Starfire's sock; but the one he kept in his own luggage. Quickly Robin grabbed the old gym bag he had packed full of his extra equipment and began digging through it. Beneath a spare cape, he found what he was looking for.

"What about this Star?" Robin held out one of his hands. In the palm of it was a small, round ball. It was brownish in color and looked a bit like an old coral reef because of the various points and columns sticking out from every side. Starfire looked at it in confusion.

"What is it Robin?" She asked.

"I have no clue; but the keepsake is supposed to have a deep sentimental value, right?" Robin asked her back; without waiting for an answer, he continued. "Well, I can't think of a single thing with more value to me than this."

Starfire blinked, she was obviously confused. "Why?" She asked him bluntly.

"I found this the day we met." Robin answered with a small sly smile tugging on his lips. "You remember _that_, don't you?"

Starfire blushed, remembering that day in detail. Cyborg was also grinning as he recalled that day; it had an amusing day full of familiar firsts. He could still remember it all. It had been the first time Beast Boy irritated Raven, the first time Raven had given her "No one should go in my room" speech, and the first time Robin and Starfire had locked lips.

* * *

**(A/N**: The following flashback was inspired both by the original Teen Titan's comics that inspired the cartoon, as well as my own version of how the Titan's first day together may have gone.

"Well, I guess we just have to wait now." Robin said as he leaned against the spotless kitchen tower of the recently finished Titan's Tower. Professor Stone had finished the tower only days ago and it was finally time for the Titan's to move in. So far, the only ones there were the two who had originally founded the idea for the Titans – Robin and Raven. Though Professor Stone's own son was to be one of the Titans, they had not met him yet. Nor had they met the other two they were waiting on, a former Hollywood wannabe named Garfield Logan, and the alien warrior Starfire from the planet Tamaran.

"We've been waiting all day." Raven noted. She was sitting on the living room couch, her face buried inside a spell book. She lowered the book from her face and closed it over one of her fingers so she would not lose the page as she turned to face the boy wonder. "Though I think the waiting is over."

Before Robin could ask how she knew this, the door opened a Beast Boy entered the living room for the first time. "Hey dudes! What's shaking?"

Neither Robin nor Raven had time to answer before Beast Boy threw his luggage against the wall and made his way to the refrigerator. He opened it quickly and scanned it, scowling at the lack of tofu before closing it and running down to the couch and sitting down next to Raven.

"Dude, we totally have to talk about the meat thing. I don't eat meat. Think we can get some tofu?"

Raven sighed, ignored his question about tofu, and instead asked him "Are you always this . . . loud?"

Beast Boy blinked. "I guess. Oh, what'cha reading?" Beast Boy attempted to grab the book from Raven; instead, he got a painful shock in the form of black light whipping the back of his hand.

"We're going to have to have a long talk." Raven said, as Beast Boy looked up at her with a clear 'what was that for?' expression on his face.

Robin was still standing at the counter, forming his own first impression on Beast Boy and trying not to laugh as Beast Boy and Raven's meeting continued. He knew Raven well enough by now to see problems forming, but he was also confident that once the team was united the five of them would be the best of friends.

"Hey, you're Robin right?"

Robin turned around; he had heard the footsteps but had not thought too much about them. When he had turned around, he found Cyborg standing at the doorway of the living room, holding an oversized bag on one shoulder and carrying a large toolbox in his other hand.

"Yeah, you must be Cyborg." Robin walked over to him. "Need some help?"

Cyborg shook his head. "Naw, I'll just set this stuff down against the wall." Cyborg then dropped the bag from his shoulder and let it fall against the wall behind him; just from the sound of the thud, Robin knew he would not have been able to lift it. Cyborg set his toolbox down beside it and then turned to survey the room.

"So what's the story with those two?" Cyborg asked, his eyes falling on Raven and Beast Boy.

"That's Raven; she's more the quiet type. And that's Beast Boy; he's not the quiet type." Robin explained quickly. Cyborg seemed to be catching the drift just watching the pair on the couch.

"I'll be in my room." Raven suddenly announced, standing up and floating towards the main door. When he reached the top of the stairs dividing the living room and kitchen she turned to Cyborg. "Raven. Nice to meet you." Without waiting for an answer, she continued her path once again until she reached the actual doorway of the kitchen, at which point she turned around. "No one should go in room. Ever."

"Ever?" Beast Boy asked. "What if –"

"_No one should go in my room_." Raven repeated in a dangerous voice. Beast Boy took a step back. Cyborg shot a questioning glance at Robin, who merely shook nodded to Raven since he had already learned of her privacy issues.

Raven turned around to head to her room and the moment she did she took a huge leap backwards. There was someone already standing in the door; a redheaded young woman in purple. Raven's annoyance was evident, but none of the boys seemed to notice.

They all noticed Starfire though. Then again it was hard not to notice her, since she was now speaking very fast in a language none of them could understand – not that her speech had been the first thing they noticed anyway.

"I'm guessing she's the alien." Cyborg said offhanded to Robin and Beast Boy.

"I'm guessing she's trying to say hello." Beast Boy added.

"And _I'm_ guessing you're all immature." Raven decided to take matters into her own hands before this became an issue. "Starfire, right? Look, no one here understands what you're saying."

Starfire seemed crestfallen. She quickly floated to Raven and began speaking to her in Tamaranian; once again, it was fast and impossible to understand. Raven grabbed the other girl by her shoulders and pushed her back a few feet.

"_Relax_. I think I know a way to fix everything, just trust me. This won't hurt."

Whether or not Starfire could understand English was still a question, so Raven was confident that her idea was their only chance. Narrowing her eyes Raven lifted her hands and fired black beams of light that consumed Starfire's head. The alien girl stood calmly enough; though Beast Boy and Cyborg both freaked out.

"Dude! What are you doing creepy-goth girl?"

"That looks painful!"

"Relax." Robin grabbed the other boys by their arms. "I'm not sure what the story is but I've seen her do this before."

A few moments later, the black light disappeared. Starfire placed a hand on her head and stumbled backwards in a daze for a moment; but Raven did not notice. Instead, she turned to the boys with a small smile twitching at the corner of her mouth; Robin felt worried.

"Well, she doesn't speak English; but she can learn real fast." Raven explained. "Aside from the flying and the energy blasts, Tamaranian's have another power. They can learn an entire language by absorbing it from someone who already speaks it."

Robin raised one of his eyebrows in suspicion. "And how do they absorb it?"

"They can transfer knowledge through touch. In this case it'd be with the tongue." Raven saw understanding begin to cross Robin's face, although Beast Boy still looked lost. "Basically one of us has to kiss her; no, let me correct that, one of _you_ has to kiss her."

As Raven had predicted, both Cyborg and Beast Boy responded right away. "I'll do it!" Starfire however had recovered from the intrusion to her mind earlier and was now standing next to Robin.

"Me?" Robin asked, gulping a bit.

"Feeling shy boy-wonder?" Raven asked with her mischievous smile in place.

"Dude, how come _he_ gets all the girls?" Beast Boy complained, crossing his arms. Raven bit back a sarcastic remark, deciding she better not point out the obvious. Cyborg shrugged.

"Uh, right. So then I guess we've got too –"

Robin didn't get a chance to finish. Starfire not only seemed to understand what she had to do; she was eager. A moment later Starfire had grabbed Robin's face and pulled him into a kiss – a deep kiss. The boy wonder's eyes had never been so wide.

"Dude, he's known her for like five minutes. That is so unfair." Beast Boy sighed.

A moment later, the kiss was over. Robin was standing dazed, but Starfire seemed even more excited than she had been before. "My friends!"

The next thing any of them knew the Tamaranian girl had thrown them all into a massive group hug – squeezing a little too tight for everyone's taste. Beast Boy's complaints about not getting enough affection had transformed into a mad attempt to escape from the crushing confines of Starfire's death-grip. Raven looked peeved, and Cyborg was flabbergasted by her strength. Robin was still in shock.

* * *

"We all remember that day Robin." Cyborg grinned to himself as he recalled the events in question. "But what does that have to do with this thing?" He asked, looking at the coral reef-like ball in Robin's hand.

"Well, if you remember the next thing that happened was our first trouble signal from the city. After the battle, I found this on the ground. I analyzed it for days; it is not made from any substance known to Earth. I could never find any danger to it; it just makes me think of that day."

Starfire was grinning from ear to ear. "It is perfect."

"Yeah, I think it is Star."

"Well good, then you guys have your keepsake." Cyborg grinned.

"Looks like we do." Robin replied. Starfire took the strange ball from her lover and held it up so she could inspect it better.

"I do wonder where it came from originally." She pondered aloud.

"Yeah, I do too, but it doesn't really matter. All I know is it reminds me of you; and that's enough." Robin placed an arm around Starfire's shoulder and pulled her closer to him. "I guess we should tell your parents we found a keepsake."

Starfire blinked. "I had forgotten about them. Do they even know we are to undergo the Old Trials?"

Robin shrugged; he had forgotten about them as well. "I guess we'll find out when we tell them about the keepsake."

The scene was a happy one for everyone concerned. Robin's attention had turned completely to Starfire; and she was just as wrapped up in him as he was in her. Cyborg had decided he would be a good friend and make his way to the other side of the room so they could have as much privacy as possible.

This was just fine with the fifth person in the room. Trigon had found it almost impossible to stay perfect still and quiet as the lovers retold their story. It was so happy and full of love and friendship. Trigon's hobbies never included such things; he was more of the mass-torture, rape and murder kind of guy. Finally free from the sentimental stew, the demon wasted no time in hurrying to the bed. He was mere inches from Robin and Starfire; but they never would have noticed. Cyborg's scanners would have picked up Trigon's presence if he was looking for him – but Cyborg was not looking. With a quick tap of his invisible finger on the top of the keepsake it was done.

The enchantment was in place. The trap was ready. Now it was just a matter of waiting.

After the Trials started, after Robin and Starfire completed their task – the moment they touched this "perfect" keepsake inside the Cavern of the Trials – that was when it would all come together.

That was when the Teen Titans would finally meet their end.

* * *

**A/N**: There you are, another chapter done. I hope the cliffhanger isn't too evil. The next chapter is coming, so keep an eye out for it. I've got to go now – 24's on in less than half a hour! Anyway, hope you enjoyed this one; some feedback would be nice, thanks for reading.

**Golden-Sama **(Brandon Rice)


	13. The Tables Turn

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Thirteen**

"**The Tables Turn"**

**A/N**: One quick note, my spellchecker was messed up and it kept turning TRIALS into TRAILS, for some reason. I'll go back and fix the previous chapters someday, but just so everyone knows it is Trials, like in test, not trails, like a wilderness trail or something.

Oh, and to **XxtearsxofxbloodxandxhatexX**, I'd be happy to take your survey. Points Below Like I said, any questions you readers have just ask 'em. I'll answer 'em if I can.

How I became interested in Teen Titans? I was bored out of my mind one day and I was clicking through channels when I saw it was on. At first I thought it was a rerun of the old "Animated Adventures of Batman and Robin" (which I used to be obsessed with) since all I saw was Robin, so I started watching it. Well, obvious I realized it was a different show, but I kept watching anyway. Ever since then I've been watching the show whenever I get a chance. As for why, it's a good show. I like good shows. Very simple. –snickers- As for how long, I can't quite remember exactly, but it was during the very beginning of season two.

Well, Author's Notes and Survey complete; time for the actual story.

* * *

The bodies of Bruce and Galfore lay still under the harsh winds of the desert. The winds were whipping over their already battered bodies, harshly blowing sand and rocks against them with an unrelenting severity. The two heroes had endured hardships before; but against the savage wilderness of Tamaran's untamed wild neither stood a chance like this; and time was running short.

A sandstorm, the most vicious of natural disasters on the planet, was moving in. Sandstorms were common and everyone who ventured away from the cities and castles knew the odds of running into one were high; while the odds of surviving one were almost non-existent. If the storm reached the fallen heroes, they would have no chance of survival.

However, there was still hope; and it came in the form of a large black bird flying across the sky. Beast Boy and Raven had set out to save the fallen mentors and now they had arrived. The black lights smashed into the ground and dispersed; leaving only the gothic girl and the green teen behind. They had been through enough themselves; but now their minds and their eyes were focused on something else – the fallen friends.

Raven did not speak a word as she aimed her hands at the bodies. Muttering the usual mantra, she moved the bodies so that they lay side-by-side; close enough for her to reach them both. Afterwards she turned to Beast Boy: "Keep your eyes open." Beast Boy nodded in response.

Raven hurried over to the bodies and dropped down to her knees. She did not like the looks of things. They had been through hell; that was obvious. Placing one hand on the chest of each man, Raven focused her mind and began the healing. Of course, as she had demonstrated numerous times before, her healing powers were a double-edged sword. She could take the pain and the injury from others – but she would have to suffer it herself.

"Raven, can you heal them?" Beast Boy asked, watching the strain on her face as actual healing began. "I mean, there's two of them and –""

"I can't fully heal them, no." Raven responded, cutting him off mid-sentence. "But I have to handle some of it or they might not survive."

Beast Boy nodded without a word and then turned back to look around and resume his lookout duties. Although in truth he was too preoccupied to see approaching danger. They had found them, and it looked like they could save them. Things had worked out. Slade had failed.

"There." Raven announced. "That's all I can do. They should make it, as long as we get them back to the palace."

Beast Boy was ecstatic. He and Raven still had some things to talk about, but they had managed to work through their issues once again and save Bruce and Galfore from the certain-death they had been doomed to suffer. He quickly ran to Raven's side, more than ready for the flight home.

"Leaving so soon?"

Neither of them hesitated. The voice of Slade Wilson was too familiar by this point for hesitation. Beast Boy and Raven turned around; each ready for a fight. Slade seemed as unimpressed and unafraid as ever as he approached them, making his way from the shadowy spot he had hidden in and out to the two Titans ahead of him.

"You used me." Beast Boy growled. He was madder than he had been in a long time. A vein was pounding in his head as he spat at the masked villain.

"Yes I did, and quite easily too." Slade responded in his usual mocking manner. "Really, I've manipulated you Titans many times you'd think you'd have learned a lesson."

"That's funny." Raven's sarcasm cut in. "We've killed you so many times you'd think _you'd _have learn the lesson."

Slade turned his eye on Raven. "On the contrary dear Raven; it is you who should have learned _that_ lesson. I always come back; why not embrace death now and save us both the time?"

"Sorry, I'm not a big fan of embracing death." Raven responded.

"Well, we can't all have what we want, can we Raven?" Slade snapped back. That was the final word on the matter. They had all played this game too many times in the past to have any doubts on what would happen next.

Beast Boy and Raven moved like a well-oiled machine. They had not really formed a plan; but their mutual anger and the long-standing experience with Slade helped them work in sync. Raven's eyes flashed with light and a moment later, everything she could throw at Slade had been thrown. Rocks, pebbles, sand, stone; anything on the ground within distance of her mental powers went soaring at Slade. Slade stood still as a thin red line traced itself around the outline of his body; the debris that had been tossed at him burnt into flames as they touched his skin and left the villain standing without a scratch.

Beast Boy, who was now a rhino, had been on his way to ram the villain. Luckily, he pulled out in time and became his usual self as he jumped backwards. He landed on his rump; but it was better than being roasted alive.

"Not good enough." Slade smirked. Instantly his eye became the deadliest part of him as he mimicked his lightning blast from the long-forgotten kitchen fight and directed his fury at Raven. She did not waste time trying to block it, remembering all too well the horrifying power it possessed, and instead she melted herself down into the ground and reappeared beside Beast Boy in the same fashion a moment later.

"We can't beat him." She pointed out. Slade had turned around and this time he was using the flame-powers he had first shown on Raven's birthday. Slade hurled two large jets of fire at the Titans, forcing them to take flight. Raven flew straight up, the flames licking at her heels as she did. Beast Boy, who was now a eagle, flew to the right and the searing inferno Slade had launched at him followed him by mere inches. The Teens lead the flames on a chase through the air until at last they ended up heading straight for one another. Raven went up; Beast Boy went down and the flames collided.

"I'll distract him; you take Bruce and Galfore back to the palace." Beast Boy informed Raven as the pair landed on the ground once again.

"No." Raven responded instantly. "Slade will kill you."

"No he won't. I promise." Beast Boy wanted to say more, so much more, but time would not allow it. Slade was not the type to stand by and allow sappy, sentimental farewells. Instead, he fired another blast of his eye and Beast Boy had to duck down to keep from being hit in the head.

Raven wanted to argue. Beast Boy could distract Slade; but in all honesty, he could not defeat him. The Titans had a hard time defeating Slade even with all five members present; how could Beast Boy do it alone? She had a nasty feeling that if she gave into Beast Boy's plan, she would never see him again – but she did not have a choice.

"Damn you." She hissed quietly. Beast Boy did not hear her. Slade was firing his lightning bolts again and the two were separated by the need to dodge them. Raven stopped watching Beast Boy then; and instead turned her eyes on the bodies of Bruce and Galfore. She knew what she had to do.

Beast Boy had assumed the form of a humming bird. He was now small, fast and he had an insane idea. Slade was standing still, following Beast Boy's movements and firing his deadliest lightning bolts at him. As a small green humming bird, however, Beast Boy was able to swerve and swivel his way past the bolts. It was close, but he managed every time. Then he got his chance. He was so close to Slade, and once the final bolt had missed him he had to go for it. Beast Boy's choice of fighting Slade as a humming bird may have seemed odd until now; but his plan paid off. Beast Boy rammed his small beak in Slade's eye and then quickly turned back into his normal self, sending him falling on his rump at Slade's feet.

The scream that followed was inhuman. Slade wound up on his knees, clutching his face as a trickle of red blood oozed down the side of his mask. Beast Boy could not see to find out if he had actually poked out the villain's eye or if he had just damaged it; but either way it had the desired effect. Beast Boy quickly scampered up to his feet and began planning his next move.

"Beast Boy!"

It was Raven. Beast Boy turned in the direction of her voice and found that she had not left; she and the bodies of Bruce and Galfore were still lying in the same place. Neither Slade nor Beast Boy had noticed them at all during their brief confrontation. Beast Boy quickly ran to her and threw his arms around her in a quick hug.

"I though I was the distraction."

"You were; but I didn't feel like leaving you alone so I spent my time healing them a little more." Beast Boy could see the pain beneath her eyes; he was not sure if it was from physical pain she had absorbed, or from seeing Beast Boy cut it so close. Either way he knew they did not have time to discuss this now.

"Get us outta here Rae."

"Stay on guard, even when we're back at the castle. We still don't know where Trigon is and that makes me worry." Raven advised him.

"Right!"

The next moment the four of them were gone, and the large black bird was heading towards the Tamaranian Palace. It appeared as if the Teen Titans had managed to steal another victory. Not even Slade could contest his defeat when he had lost not only the hostages he had planned to kill, but his eye as well. The Titans had won today.

Right?

* * *

"How long are we to just sit and wait here?" King Myand'r asked his impatience and worry reaching its evening height.

Neither the King nor the Queen could be considered a fool. They knew that something – perhaps quite a few somethings – was going on. Robin and Starfire were taking a long time to select a keepsake; a giant bird made of black light had flown away from the palace, and it no one had bothered to fill the King and Queen in on the status of Galfore's search team. They were being kept out of the loop – and that annoyed Myand'r greatly.

"My love, I too feel as if we are being left out." Queen Luand'r replied gently. She rose from the golden throne upon which she had been sitting and crossed the room to her husband's side. They were in their throne room in the underground bunker. She gently wrapped her arms around his back and pulled him close. "Yet there is naught we can do. As much as it saddens me to say it, this is none of our concern. We must have faith in our daughter and her friends."

"None of our concern?" Myand'r roared, he jerked away from his wife and shook his head. "Our planet is under attack! Full-scale war could result from this and we must lead our people!"

Luand'r shook her head, her long hair shimmering in the lights and falling across her shoulders. "It is too early to speak of war. We do not even known whom is behind this, or if there is more danger to come."

The King was unconvinced. He knew there was something going on and he wanted answers. This had something to do with his daughter, and the Titans, and the Trials. It had to be connected to them; Myand'r's mind was doubt free. He could not convince his wife, however, and he knew so little that his hands were tied. If he tried to act now, he would not know against whom – and it would make Luand'r furious. Myand'r had always thought of his wife as the sweetest woman in the world; but he knew much too well that if he made her mad she would make him miserable.

"Mother! Father!"

Myand'r's eyes had just settled shut as he went about resting his bearded chin in his hand when Starfire's voice filled the room. Myand'r opened his eyes and jumped up from the chair as Robin and Starfire came bounding in. Luand'r was still standing in front of the thrones and she was now staring at the Titans with expecting eyes.

"What brings you here, my child?" Luand'r asked sweetly.

"We found a keepsake." Starfire squealed. She nudged Robin in the side with her elbow and he extended his hand, uncurled his fist, and revealed the tiny coral ball they had chosen to use. She also automatically launched into an explanation of what it was and the story behind it. Luand'r watched with a keen interest in her eyes, absorbing every word that came from her daughter's mouth with an obvious craving for more. Myand'r, however, seemed uninterested in the keepsake.

Finally, he lost the ability to bite his tongue. Myand'r motioned Robin to join him off to the side of the women by his throne, and the boy wonder did so without hesitation. The King shot a final glance at the girls, but they were both so preoccupied in the keepsake that they had not noticed a thing. The King then returned his gaze to Robin, who was ready with a question.

"Is there something wrong with the keepsake, your highness?" Robin asked with a trace of worry in his voice.

"No, no, nothing like that Master Robin. My concerns are much graver. I have for sometime felt as if something was going on that I had not been informed of. I saw the lights when your friend Raven left; was she not the one who conjured the great black bird in the sky?"

Robin's eye widened. Raven left? Robin had felt slightly suspicious of what was going on between Raven and Beast Boy when they had rushed out of the infirmary earlier; but he had not expected either of them to leave the castle. Something was going on; and the King and Queen were not the only ones being left out of the loop.

"Your highness, something _is_ going on; but I'm not sure what."

The King's eye widened in understanding and he asked his next question quickly and quietly. "You were not aware of their departure?"

Robin shook his head. He knew something was going on with Raven and Beast Boy that he hadn't heard about yet; but he had not expected them to leave the bunker; much less the entire palace. Could it be a trap set by Slade and Trigon? Robin would have estimated the odds high on that one; of course just about everything they had done so far had turned out to be manipulated by Slade or the demon.

Robin paused then. _Everything they had done_. Meeting Shady, the spaceship ride here, all of the chaos after they had arrived, the attack in the kitchen – the list went on and on. Robin realize that he had no proof one way or the other; but was it possible that everything that had happened was part of some grand, elaborate scheme? They had fallen into so many traps, only to escape by the skin of their teeth. Who is to say what was intention and what was not – and what could be next?

"No, I wasn't." Robin responded slowly, his mind still playing thousands of scenarios through; each one as unlikely as the last but somehow still believable. Expect the Unexpected. It was a cliché statement; but great wisdom.

Robin already had a great number of questions in need of answering, and his conversation with Starfire's father had only caused that list to grow. It was like trying to put together a gigantic jigsaw puzzle without all the pieces; and every time he found a missing piece, it only made him rethink the pieces already placed down. Maybe he would never figure it all out – maybe he just had to wait until the end.

Robin stopped again. The end. When was that? Up until this moment, he had always assumed that things would end when he and Starfire had completed the Trials. That was their purpose for everything, wasn't it? Shady had been a traitor, but his message was real. This had all begun because of the Trials, and until this moment, Robin had believed it would end with the Trials; but now . . .

How could that be the end? The Trials were merely a test to show how much committed Robin and Starfire were to one another. Their lives, providing they were still alive after the Trials, were far from over. They would have to return to Earth eventually – to their duty as Jump City's defenders. And if Robin and Starfire really were as deeply in love as Robin believed they were, then one day . . .

Robin stopped there. He realized he was trying to plan his entire life; and no one could do that. He was not just jumping ahead of himself thinking about the Trials, he was going beyond that and it was time to stop. Whatever happened in the future would happen; he had no power to change it just as he had no power over the past. He merely had the here and the now; and that is what he had to focus on.

"Robin, father, why are you over there?" Starfire and the Queen had finally ended their discussion on the keepsake, and had noticed the disappearance of the men in their lives. Both the King and Robin were broken out of their thoughts and turned, equally embarrassed, trying to think of a suitable answer.

_That_ was when the door opened. Cyborg came running into the room, ignoring the outraged guards outside and quickly making his way into the narrow space between Robin and Starfire before explaining. "The guards are saying something about a giant black bird heading towards the castle."

"Raven." Robin replied instantly. "Where is –"

"Main entrance buddy." Cyborg responded between pants. "Titans Go, right?"

Robin and Starfire didn't respond, instead they brushed past Cyborg leaving him to sigh and turn around following them feeling more like an messenger than an actual Titan today – of course he wasn't going to complain. Cyborg knew he was getting off lucky; the real problems kept falling on everyone else, and while he'd always be there to lend a helping hand, he wasn't too keen on bringing his own issues into the already full plate before the team.

* * *

The black lights that flew in the form of a giant raven smashed into the ground at the castle's main entrance. Raven, Beast Boy and the unconscious bodies of Bruce and Galfore appeared in the bird's place. Beast Boy turned his attention on the bodies right away; expecting Raven to levitate them inside using her powers. Raven however took her time, apparently feeling safe for the moment, and instead placed a hand on Beast Boy's shoulder.

"Can we talk?" She asked quietly, some hesitation in her voice.

"Of course, but shouldn't we get them to the infirmary first –"

"Raven! Beast Boy!"

Any talk Raven had been hoping to have was put on pause. In a flash, Robin, Starfire, Cyborg and a handful of Tamaranian guards had all joined them at the front. Robin's already lengthy list of questions only grew upon the sighting of the bodies. The guards quickly rushed into a defensive position and began shouting to others. Total chaos had broken out at the main entrance and if someone did not stop it quickly, it would consume the entire castle.

"We're fine, so are they." Raven shouted over the noise of the guards.

"And I think I poked out Slade's eye." Beast Boy added; although the mention of Slade only furthered the confusion and Robin's need for a lengthy explanation; a need he would have to wait to satisfy.

Raven sighed. She had been hopeful that they could bring Bruce and Galfore to the infirmary and slip back into the company of their friends without too much commotion being caused. Instead, the entire castle was up-in-arms and it would undoubtedly be hours before all of the confusion was settled and peace returned. Normally this would have irritated her merely because of the noise; but this time she had reasons that are more personal as well. She _did_ have to talk to Beast Boy, and soon; and she could not forget that her father's current whereabouts were still unknown.

Raven caught a lucky break, however. She had been so caught up in her newfound worries and irritations that she had failed to notice where she was going. She had merely been following Beast Boy; determined not to let him slip out of her sight. Now that she began paying attention, however, she realized she, Beast Boy, and the rest of the Titans who lead the way had slipped out from the chaotic main gate and were now on their way to the Palace Throne Room – and presumably to the underground bunkers below it.

Raven was right. A few minutes later, she had climbed down the passageways and came out in the second throne room – the subterranean one. The King and Queen were huddled together near the thrones; a communication sphere like the one that had been on the spaceship now located between them. From the looks of the man on the other end of the sphere, they were talking to one of the guards. However, when the group arrived and the King and Queen realized whom it was they cut their conversation short and instead sat down in their thrones. It was obvious they were now waiting on an explanation.

The Titans had all gathered in the room and everyone realized quickly that it was time everyone spoke frankly. It was time for everyone to know everything; best to end the confusion early before it consumed them. Robin, as he usually did, took on a leader-like role and began the conversation.

"Where should we start?" He asked the group.

"I'll start." Beast Boy volunteered. Raven was not sure if she liked that idea or not, but she would let Beast Boy do what he wanted for now.

"Okay, then start." Robin replied.

Beast Boy explained everything. Since he was not sure how much his friends knew that the King and Queen did not, and vice-a-versa, he backtracked all the way to when Slade first began manipulating him. He retold the story of Slade and Trigon's lies, the tasks he'd be forced into doing and the choices he had made; as well as recalling the consequences for those choices and his confrontation with Raven. He finished by recalling their rescue attempt, the battle with Slade, and their flight back to freedom.

Being reminded of it caused Raven to realize that she hadn't been paying attention during the confusion and she didn't know what had happened to Bruce and Galfore's bodies – although no one seemed too worried so she had a pretty good idea that the mentors were safe and sound, and probably in the infirmary.

"Then we landed and everyone sort of swarmed us, and that's about it. Right Rae?"

"Right." Raven responded. She turned her eyes on the others. She was a bit surprised by Beast Boy's candor about his manipulation. She was not worried about the other Titans holding it against him – Slade had used them all at some point and they knew how easy it was to be used. She could tell from their faces that everyone had some questions left; but no one bothered to ask them. Instead, it was Robin's turn.

Robin's explanation was quite like Beast Boy's. He backtracked as far as he could and then, sparing no detail, he recalled everything he had been present for. Most of his story was known to most of the people there, Starfire in particular, but they all waited patiently and eagerly and ate any new information like starving animals. When he had finished, he glanced around at the others, clearly looking to see if anyone else had anything to add. Cyborg pointed out a few details that had been missed, but afterwards it was finished.

"Any questions?" Robin asked when the storytelling was over.

"Yeah, what's next?" Raven heard the question first, and only afterwards did she realize she had been the one to ask it.

"Good question." King Myand'r replied. He sat back on his throne and began to stroke his curly beard.

"Slade and Trigon are up to something big." Robin announced. "It's not by chance that we fell into so many traps and always managed to escape from them."

"You think this is all part of their plan?" Raven asked, skeptic. She could see how many things – even things that looked like victories in the past – could be part of some grand, elaborate scheme; but to think that everything that had happened had been planned out by their enemies? Impossible.

"Not all of it." Robin responded. "Listen, we're good; but so are they. Trying to predict what the other side will do is nothing new for either of us. It's hard to be sure what's been planned out and what hasn't."

"I don't think Slade planned on me tearing his eyeball out." Beast Boy smirked.

"Exactly." Robin responded. "We turned the tables on this one; but as long as Slade and Trigon are alive they're going to try to turn them back. Personally, I'd rather stop them before they can."

"You have a plan?" Raven asked.

"As a matter of fact I do." Robin responded with a sly grin. Then he explained his plan. Raven was impressed; it sounded like it could work. Of course, a large portion of their plan relied on how well they could predict Trigon's next move; although she agreed with Robin's guess, and she knew her father better than the others did.

"So we're agreed?" Robin asked the room.

"Sounds good to me." Cyborg yawned. "Especially since it looks like we get to wait till morning."

"I'm in." Raven responded.

"Then so am I." Beast Boy echoed.

Starfire leaned against Robin's shoulder. She was not going to waste words on answering Robin; everyone knew she would follow his lead. The King and Queen both nodded, giving their permission for the rather dangerous idea. Robin beamed in satisfaction – it was unanimous – which meant the Teen Titans were the ones setting the trap this time.

"Since we've agreed that this plan must wait until morning, and as the night is growing late, perhaps this is a good time to discuss your sleeping arrangement." Myand'r suddenly announced, which caused a few raised eyebrow.

"I didn't know we had a new arrangement." Beast Boy muttered.

"Exactly my point." Myand'r responded. "There is no need for you to sleep in the infirmary any longer. Perhaps you would prefer to stay here, in the bunker."

"Actually." Robin responded slowly; everyone could practically see the gears in his head turning as an idea struck him. "It would make the plan's chances a lot better if we stayed here."

"The same occurred to me, Master Robin." King Myand'r admitted. "Luand'r and I will be safe enough in the main palace."

"Anyone object?" Robin asked, casting another glance at the group. No one did.

"Then everything's set." Robin replied, his wily grin back in place.

Raven sank back into silence. She hated to be the depressing one, although she usually was anyway. The tables really had turned. Not just with what happened in the desert; but because of this plan as well. It really did have a good chance of working, and if it worked . . .

"Rae!"

Raven opened her eyes. She had been preoccupied again and failed to notice what was going on around her. It seemed the others had already retired to bed and she and Beast Boy were the only ones left inside the bunker's throne room.

"Sorry." Raven could feel her cheeks turning red, which only irritated her further. "I was –"

"Distracted? Yeah, I noticed." Beast Boy was being the sarcastic one. "You wanted to talk to me . . .?"

Raven sighed and looked down. She had wanted to talk to him for a long time. "Yeah, I did. Beast Boy, before when I was questioning you . . . I'm sorry. You realize I only acted that way because we didn't have time for –"

"Raven, don't worry about it." Beast Boy responded. "You don't have to apologize. Let's just go to bed Raven, we've gotta make sure the plan goes perfectly tomorrow."

Raven's face twisted into a smile. "No kidding."

* * *

**A/N**: If you have _no clue_ what the plan is; **GOOD**. I did it that way on purpose. It's the cliffhanger for this chapter. Yes, it's evil; but no where near as evil as the way I originally planned to end this chapter. Trust me on that.

Anyway, the next chapter should be up in the next one to four days; reviews will keep it alive, I'm gonna go get dinner now.

Peace Out, hope you enjoyed this one.

**Golden-sama**


	14. Everybody Has A Perfect Plan

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Fourteen**

"**Everybody Has A Perfect Plan"**

**A/N**: A new character is introduced in this chapter: Grant Wilson. Obviously, he's not in the cartoon version; but he was in the comic version of Teen Titans. I'm pretty sure that by the end of this chapter you'll have learned everything about him you'll need for the story; but I do have a website you can go to for the detailed information on the entire comic version of teen titans; characters, storylines, plot twist, ect. More info on that _after_ the story.

* * *

"We're doing things my way, from now on."

Trigon and Slade were arguing; that was nothing new. They were so similar, and so different; that any working relationship between the two came with many fights. Slade was cunning, cruel and manipulative. He was a genius and a master of martial arts thanks to his own training and natural abilities. He was an immortal thanks to his wife and the incident that cost him his eyes. Most recently, he was given powers over flame and lightning, thanks to Trigon.

However, as bad as Slade may seem – Trigon was worse. He was naturally stronger and larger than the human, and his mind was every bit as cruel and calculating. On a scale of brute strength, few could top the demon. He was also immortal, though he had always been that way and never had to pay the prices that Slade had. Moreover, when it came to special powers; well Trigon had given those to Slade, so of course he had them too. He had the same ones and more.

Yes, they may have been working as partners; but Trigon was truly the one running the show at least in his mind. They always came to an agreement on the plans, but Trigon had always assumed he would have the final matter. Why? Simple; if you took away everything else, Slade was just a human; while Trigon was still a planet-eating demon.

Slade on the other hand knew that while physical Trigon trumped him in every way, the real genius behind everything that had happened – or would happen – came from his demented brain. Even now, Slade was looking ahead to the ending; for he knew how it would end. Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Raven and Trigon would all die; leaving Slade alone as the victor. He would have accomplished his longtime goal of destroying the Teen Titans; and his newer goal of killing Trigon.

Yes, Slade's real plans were going perfectly. He merely had to wait now and hope that the Titans were doing what he thought they were doing. Of course, if he knew Robin – which he did – the odds were in Slade's favor.

"Might I ask why?" Slade asked Trigon at last, returning to the argument at hand.

"Because you let them rip your eye out! What the hell was that about?" Trigon demanded.

"Yes, Garfield ripped my eye out; and you healed it." Slade responded boredly. "And you _did_ enchant the keepsake as we planned, without them suspecting a thing, didn't you?"

Trigon grunted. "Yes I did, but –"

"Then everything is still going according to plan. It was you, after all, who told me to keep them here as long as possible; and I did. If I'd tried to do things any other way I would have had to kill one, maybe both of them; and we both know you want Raven to suffer when she dies." Slade was excellent at explaining away his failure.

"Not just Raven. That green one too. I hate him the worst." Trigon responded with venom dripping from his voice.

"Because he makes your daughter so happy?" Slade inquired.

"Ever since they've been together I've been losing control over her Slade. I _will not tolerate that_. Her mother was _mine._ She is _mine_. There can be no other way. I'm going to go to the palace Slade, to see how badly you screwed up, and you're going to stay here and wait patiently."

Suddenly Slade stopped. Something had just occurred to him; something he would never have thought of under normal circumstances. "Wait. It's a trap."

Trigon's eyebrow rose. "What?"

Slade began to laugh; he could not believe how close Robin had come to pulling it off. "Think about it; Raven and Beast Boy tore out my eye. They have made it back by now and undoubtedly told the other Titans. Robin would have realized in a instant that with me down it would be the perfect time for them to turn to tables and strike against us; but they didn't. The only reason I can think of that they wouldn't attack is because they're setting a trap; turning the tables on us."

Trigon's eyes, all four of them, widened. Slade was making sense. "Then what "

"Do we do? We have several choices. One of us could go and take their chances. On the other hand, we could do nothing at all, since the keepsake _is_ enchanted. Or my personal favorite, we could turn the tables back and teach the Titans who they're dealing with."

Trigon did not waste his time asking about the first two options. "What do you need to turn the tables back?"

Slade flicked his eye towards the large red demon and behind his mask his lips curved into a deadly smile. "We'll need help. We'll need someone who's dedicated, well-trained and really enjoys killing people he's never met."

"Do you have anyone in mind?" Trigon asked.

"Yes. My son." Slade responded

* * *

The plan was perfect, and so far, it was working.

They all knew and agreed that with Slade's eye damaged the way Beast Boy had described, this was the perfect time to strike. Robin and Raven, who knew the enemies better than anyone else, had eventually agreed that this most recent turn of events was bound to cause some strife between the two. Raven announced that her father had limited patience and that an incident like this would make him anxious. Robin saw this as wonderful news, since he knew Slade would be made cautious, not anxious and that furthered their theory that the enemies would argue with one another.

It was a lot of guess work, a lot of trying to figure out the minds of those they hated most – and neither of them felt like explaining each and every detail to the other Titans; so they bottom lined it. Slade screwed up, and Trigon would have no way of knowing how much damaged had been caused by the screw up without going to the castle and finding out. They would just make sure that everyone at the castle knew the Titans were wiped out from their last battle and resting safely in the underground bunker. They'd also make sure that everyone knew the only way in or out of the bunker was a secret passageway on the outside. Trigon would acquire this information and take this as the perfect chance to finish off the Titans – and when he did, they would be waiting to finish him off, once and for all.

The only problem was the waiting. For the plan to work each of the Titans would have to be in the beds in the underground bunker, pretending to be asleep. They could not really sleep; because they did not know when Trigon would show up. This caused many different problems for the five youths.

Raven alone seemed content. Of everyone, she was the most anxious of the plan. The very idea that her father could finally die – and not come back – was too much. Her emotions were running wild inside her. Happy had been bouncing around like a maniac. Love was making plans for her future with Beast Boy. Doubt was, well, doubting everything and causing a sever anxiety attack; and all the rest were just as excitable. Therefore, Raven had to meditate and keep them under control; and the meditation helped her relax and keep the appearance of someone who was sleeping.

Beast Boy was a bigger problem. He knew how important this plan was everyone, and he knew it was most important to Raven. That gave him the resolve and the strength to get though the hideous task of just lying there, doing nothing. Boredom would not get him in trouble – but overacting might. Beast Boy was sprawled out on his bed giving off loud, obnoxious and obviously fake snores every five minutes. Unless Trigon had suddenly become both blind and deaf, he would know Beast Boy was faking it.

Starfire's problem was not so much she could not fake it; she was just too restless to fake it properly. She continued to toss and turn and looked like someone who was having a bad dream – unfortunately she continued to open her eyes every few seconds, waiting for something to happen.

Cyborg had the best luck of anyone. He actually _was_ asleep. He'd been worn out anyway, and because of his systems he could get away with sleeping for real and still have his scanners set to detect Trigon the moment he arrived; which would automatically wake Cyborg up.

As for Robin, he was perfect. His eyes remained closed; but his mind alert. He moved around in bed just enough to give off the appearance of someone who was genuinely asleep. He just had to wait.

* * *

"No, I told you before I won't take the hit for any less than ten thousand." Grant sighed over the phone. "Expensive? You wanted the best. Ten thousand is dirt cheap for my services."

In a tiny office that consisted of a desk, phone, and several overflowing filing cabinets sat Grant Wilson. He was behind that desk, talking on that phone today. At first glance, he could have passed as a private investigator; but Grant's occupation was much very different. He tracked people down and learned their secrets, just like a PI; but then he murdered them. He was a hit man; and one of the best. Of course, that is not much a surprise to anyone familiar with Grant's long and disturbing history.

An history that begins with his father, Slade Wilson. Grant and his brother Joseph had been normal children once; though it had been ages ago. In the days when Slade Wilson was nothing more than an assassin himself. Slade had been discharged from the army, but his thirst for a good challenge and for human blood was not satisfied. Therefore, he began looking for a challenge and had tried the assassin-for-hire game for a while. He killed an important man, with important friends – and they tracked him down. Rather than kill Slade, they had gone after his wife Adeline and his children, Grant and Joseph. Slade had arrived in time to save his children – though Joseph's throat was slit and he was left mute. That is when something unexpected happened. Slade's secret was out, and his wife was pissed. She blamed what happened to Joseph on Slade and then she tried to shoot him; she only succeeded in taking out his eye.

Slade survived due to his military days. The off the books testing. Chemicals the military had injected him with allowed him to unlock ninety percent of his brain's potential – rather than the ten percent used by average people. The chemicals also enhanced his strength and reflexes. In short, he was stronger, faster and smarter than everyone else on the planet – and he had a thirst for blood. It was due to those events that Slade eventually wound up in Jump City, his sights set on the Teen Titans. It was also because of these events that Grant wound up becoming even worse than his father.

Grant had seen mercenaries slash his brother's throat, he had seen his mother shoot his father, and he had been nothing more than a scared child. The years were cruel to him and eventually he wound up as a testing subject for scientist who were funded by the HIVE and studying the same chemicals that had been used on Slade years ago. Grant volunteered to be a test dummy; and that was his worst mistake of all. The chemicals had the same effect on him as they had had on his father – he became faster, stronger and smarter than everyone else, with one notable exception. Rather than unlock ninety percent of Grant's brainpower – it had unlocked all one hundred percent. Not only did it make Grant even deadlier than Slade, but much more insane. At ninety percent Slade could still be considered a genius; he simply chose to act insane. Grant was the real thing; criminally insane in every way. It was his only real weakness.

Now Grant was here, in his office, talking on his phone. He was an assassin; and the best. He was paid like the best and he did his job to perfection each time. He was known in the underworld as "The Ravager". The problem was he had no contract and he was sick of just sitting here. He was not going to take a contact for ten thousand; they could just hire a second-rate killer and let their target live. Grant did not need the money – he just needed the sport.

"Fine, then you can find someone else." Grant spat over the phone before slamming it back on the receiver.

Then there was a knock on the door. Grant had already heard someone approaching it and he was not surprised to see the shadow of a man's body behind the glass window.

"Come in." Grant called irritably. He had not been surprised that someone had shown up since he had heard them; but nothing could have prepared him for who that someone was. The very second Slade entered the room Grant was on his feet with a murderous look in his eye and his gun drawn.

"I won't waste time with reunions." Slade said without hesitation. He knew his son was the better fighter and the better tactician – but he also knew his son was just a mortal and if there was a fight, Slade would dominate. "I'm here to hire you."

Grant laughed; a real, genuine laugh. "You're lucky I haven't shot you; I wouldn't work for you. Ever; and I don't care how much you offer me."

"I'm not offering you a cent; and yes, you will work for me. Because you like killing people, and that's what I want you to do. I want you to kill my enemies for me."

"Do it yourself." Grant spat.

"I've tried; and I've failed. Multiple times. That's why I know you'll take my contract and that's why I know you'll do it for free – so you can have the pleasure of proving that you're better than me."

This time Grant did pause. He looked his father over for a moment. He looked into the single eye staring out at him from behind the mask. Was this a trick? Probably. Grant's mind was every bit as cunning and deranged as Slade's – and then some. He could smell a manipulation from a mile. Still, the chance to do something his father couldn't do?

"I'm in." Grant conceded. "Just let me get my suit and weapons. You can fill me in on the details on the way. Where are they, anyway? Gotham? Jump?"

"Tamaran. You'll have to leave Earth for this one."

Grant's eyebrow rose a few inches. "I assume you have transportation?"

Slade nodded. "Yes, right outside. I'll meet you there."

"How will I find the transport?" Grant inquired.

"Look for the big red demon." Slade replied before slipping out the door and heading downstairs to find Trigon; who was serving as their quick way between Earth and Tamaran.

If Grant Wilson was confused by anything, he did not show it. In truth he hated his father and had always hoped a day would come when someone would put out a hit on Slade and allow Grant the pleasure of killing the miserable old man. On the other hand, seeing his father come to him for help was probably the most rewarding thing he would ever experienced. Today was turning out to be a much better day than Grant ever could have hoped for.

Slade too, was happy. Why should he not be? He was now successfully manipulating the Titans, Trigon and his son; and everything was going flawlessly.

* * *

Bruce's head hurt.

The Dark Knight was still in the infirmary, and he was not going anywhere anytime soon. The healers had been working on Bruce and Galfore since they were brought in, and the patients had been slipping in and out of consciousness the entire time. So far neither seemed concerned about their own safety, though at different points both had demanded to know the condition of the Titans and had been met with the same curt two word answer: They're safe.

It was not satisfying. Bruce was not content with a "They're safe". He wanted to know details. He wanted to know if any of them were hurt, and where they were now. It didn't matter to the healers who, aside from being very skilled at mending broken bones and battered bodies, were also great with keeping patients under the influence of Tamaranian pain killers. The healers knew Galfore was trained to withstand the influence of drugs, and they guessed the same was true for Mr. Wayne; so they didn't waste time on breaking out the strongest stuff on the planet – which was more than enough to keep both of the anxious mentors in a coma-like stupor most of the time.

Now however, Bruce's dosage was wearing off and the healers had been so quick about mending his injuries that his consciousness was coming back to him. It took him a few moments to regain his wits, but he was Batman; this was nothing more than the Tamaranian version of things he'd been through many times before. It was different, and much more difficult than before; but when it was all boiled down he was still able to pick out the leader of the healers and address him in a strong voice.

"What happened to us?" It was a question, but also a demand. Bruce was in no place to issue orders and the healer could easily put him back under the medication – but it was apparent that Bruce would not give up until he was either dead, in a coma or given the answers he was seeking. The healer seemed to realize this as well.

"I was not informed of the details, Master Wayne. Only that you and Master Galfore are to be given the finest care so that you may make the quickest recovery possible. In addition, you are under military guard for your protection. Other than that, I know nothing more than you do; and that is the truth."

The answers did not satisfy Bruce, but he knew the healer was being honest. Restless as he may be, Bruce allowed that to be the end of the conversation and he sat back against the pillow to let the healers finish their job. It seemed that was the only way he actually be able to solve his riddles.

* * *

"Alright, let's go over the plan." Slade announced.

Grant had finished packing his bags and he had found Trigon as easily as his father had suggested he might. The demon had not addressed the son of Slade once since they had encountered one another; and Grant was fine with that. He was not here for the demon's benefit; he was here to prove his supremacy over his father; that was all. If that required him to kill strangers, or work with demons, or even aid in the widespread destruction of an entire civilization – so be it.

Currently Grant, Slade and Trigon were perched on a hill not far from the castle. They could see the outer walls and the burnt-out towers; though the reconstruction effort was ahead and most of the damage inflicted before had been repaired or at least cleaned. Guards were still swarming the grounds and rumors were still flying about. Now it was time to make sure everything went the way they wanted it too.

"Trigon, go eavesdrop on the conversations. If I'm right you should hear some very useful information."

The demon had already made it clear that he was not one to be ordered around; but this time he did not argue. Using the same trick he had when he went to enchant the keepsake, Trigon turned himself into a nearly invisible state and then bounded off towards the castle. While he was gone, Grant turned to his father.

"How did you get involved with that, thing?" He asked.

"That's quite a story, but we don't have time for it now." Slade responded. "If circumstances allow, I'll tell you later."

Grant shook his head. "No. I'd rather not know. Whatever mistake you made to land you in that creatures debt, I won't be stupid enough to make myself."

Behind his mask, Slade smirked to himself. His son was itching to prove his superiority to his father; and completely unaware that he had already made the very same mistake he was so arrogantly claiming he was too smart to make. Slade did not respond to his son's arrogance, though. That would have been a dead giveaway – and besides, Trigon was back.

When Trigon returned and his skin once again became visible, he looked pleased. "Apparently the rumor around the base is the Titans are all worn-out from preparation for an assault against us. They're sleeping it off in secure beds in the underground bunker; and every entrance is under the heaviest possible guard. Every entrance except one. The secret tunnel that leads out of the room also leads into it; and no guards are posted outside since it's so secret we couldn't possible know about it."

Slade laughed. This was priceless. "Exactly as I thought. Robin's good, but he's not good enough. We were supposed to hear these rumors and then rush down into the unguarded entrance where we'll undoubtedly walk right into a trap. I knew they were trying to play us; but I hadn't expected it would be this easy to play them right back."

"Are you going to brag or tell us what to do?" Grant snapped, growing impatient. He was ecstatic to hear things were going so well, but he was also in a hurry to finish this job.

"We're going to throw them a curve ball. They'll be expecting Trigon, and they'll have a back up plan just on the off-chance I show up anyway; but they don't even know you exist Grant; and that's our upper hand." Slade responded. "Trigon, go back to the palace and really sneak around. There's more than one secret entrance to that bunker. I'm sure the others are well guarded – and hurry up."

Once more Trigon became invisible on command, and once more he vanished to the castle. This time he took longer, for he had to sneak past the guards on the inside and he had to find the best way in. He could guess what Slade's plan was, and secretly he had to admit it was a brilliant one. Slade _was_ smarter than normal humans. He may be the smartest human of them all. Still, he was _only human_. Finally Trigon found what Slade was undoubtedly looking for – a second hidden entrance. The entrance was located inside the military bunker just off the left-hand side of the castle's main entrance. The passageway inside lead directly into the throne room of the underground bunker; which was only a skip away from the room the Titans were waiting in.

After returning and informing Slade of this, the one-eyed mastermind's glee grew considerably.

"Excellent. Then it's time we do this. Trigon, go to the unguarded entrance and walk into their trap just like they want you too. While you do that, Grant and I will break into that bunker, kill the guards, and head down the other way. Once we're inside we'll turn the tables on the Titans."

"Wait." Trigon said at once. "Who exactly are we killing? I want Raven and the green one to suffer; not die quickly. And I'd assumed you were waiting for the Trials to kill those other two."

Slade laughed. "We're not killing anybody."

Both Trigon and Grant froze and looked at Slade as if he had lost his mind. Slade however, explained quickly. "I take it back, _I'm_ not killing anybody; and neither of you are to touch Robin or Starfire. Kill the others, if you want. I still plan to have Robin and Starfire die in the Trials, just like I've planned since day one. This was never about killing them. This was about something so much better."

"What's that?" Grant asked, skeptic.

"Proving that no matter how hard they try, no matter how well they plan and no matter how good they think they are; they still can't beat me." Slade responded. "Crushing Robin's hope, seeing him agonize over his mistake; that's much better than killing him. Making him realize he's no match for me and rubbing his nose in it is better than simply exterminating him. Given your history with Raven you can understand, can't you Trigon?"

Trigon was grinning. "So you're saying we walk into their trap, show them how easily we could kill them; and then leave without claiming a single life? You're saying that everything we do tonight should be out of arrogance and spite?"

"Exactly."

"I like that idea." Trigon responded, a sadistic grin spreading across his warped face.

"So nobody dies?" Grant asked, sounding irritated and disappointed.

"A bunch of guards are going to die; and you can kill Cyborg if you want." Slade offered.

"Works for me." Grant shrugged. As long as he has somebody to kill, the day would not be a total waste.

There was nothing left to discuss. Both sides had made "perfect" plans, and it was time to see which was better.

The Titans were being handed a perfect opportunity to destroy their enemies for the last time; a chance to end things. The villains had this same chance, the same odds and the same opportunity for things reach a conclusion. Perhaps there would be one winner and one loser, and there is supposed to be.

More likely, the "perfect" plans would conflict and result in sheer chaos. Then there would be only one certain thing: the conclusion was still far, far away.

* * *

**A/N**: I know, I know; I'm sure you were all expecting the "perfect plan" to actually go down in this chapter. Originally I was expecting that to happen as well; but the actual result of all the planning turned out to be a scene so long I had to save it for fifteen. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.

Oh, and as for Grant Wilson and the website I mentioned:

www . titanstower . com (remove spaces as needed.)

Seriously, it's a great site. It doesn't focus on the cartoon titans, but the cartoon is based on the comics to a point; and this site has so much crap about the original comics that it's hard _not_ to find something interesting. I've used it a lot in this story. Anyway, figured some of you may want to take a look. It's my way of saying "Thank You" to everyone who has read/reviewed this story and made me feel so good.

See you next time.

**Golden-sama**


	15. When Perfect Plans Collide

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Fifteen**

"**When Perfect Plans Collide"**

**A/N**: Dude! A **_HUGE_** thank you to everyone who reviewed! You people are amazing; and I'm going to work extra hard to make this story great. Now I'll answer a couple of quick questions I was asked.

**IllegalDayNightSnappingIguana**; actually no I never have read the comics. I've looked for them at comic shops before; but I've never been able to find them. Odds are if I ever do I'll wind up buying 'em though.

**scathac's warrior;** Yeah, Grant did die. The HIVE gave him the same drugs that Slade used in the military specifically so that he'd take the contract on the Titans; and they wanted him to fail. It was all part of their plan to make Slade go after the Titans. I had to change the timeline of events from the original comic in order to make it work with _this_ story, but I figured I could get away with it since it's fanfiction; and since none of it happened in the cartoon anyway.

As for the rest of you who reviewed; thank you again. The feedback so far has been amazing and I really wish I had some way of thanking you that was better than just saying "thank you" repeatedly. I know! I'll thank you all by shutting my trap and starting the story now. -

Oh, thanks to **eventidespirit** too, who added this story to a C2! Mucho gracias, mi amigo. –blinks- Why am I Spanish all of the sudden?

* * *

The Titans were still in bed, and still waiting. Everyone had grown more restless; which was far from being a good thing. Robin's flawless performance was suffering; not really, because he was losing patience with the waiting; but because Beast Boy's fake snoring was irritating. Raven's meditation had long since been broken and she was tossing and turning in her "sleep" quite a bit. Her emotions would not be satisfied until this thing was over, and if it lasted much longer, she might be an even bigger giveaway than Beast Boy.

Cyborg was no longer asleep. He was awake, and just as annoyed as everyone else was. He was tempted to just sit up and ask the others if they wanted to rethink the plan and go after Trigon and Slade themselves; but it was far too late for that – and there was still the chance that their enemies would play into their hands and walk in any minute. The plan was still a good one; it was just an annoying one.

Starfire was now "sleeping" with her face buried in her pillows. None of the others knew if this was to keep her from blinking, to keep her from speaking, or if it was just more of Starfire's trademark weirdness. Whatever the reason, she was being quiet and could almost pass for being asleep; which was something. Of course, Beast Boy was still the worst. He was tossing and turning more than any person could, even if they were asleep and having some kind of wild dream. His snoring was too loud, too fast and too obnoxious to be believable in the least and everyone else suspected he was doing it partially on purpose just to kill time.

All of them expected someone to sit up and say, "That's it!" since everyone was one their last nerve. None of them did, however. They all stuck to the plan. Perhaps not as well as they needed too; but they were still trying.

That is when it happened. There was a loud sound heard from the tunnel's exit and everyone froze. Everyone was perfectly still and perfectly quiet. Someone was coming in. It was time. As impatient as they had been, as badly as some of them had been faking it – that had all changed. Everyone did what they needed to do to be ready and for a moment; a single, brilliant moment none of them doubted the plan in the slightest.

It did not take long for Trigon to appear. He squeezed his way through the tunnel and wormed his way out of the entrance. He was in the room now and the Titans could all hear him. Now they simply had to wait for Robin's signal – which would be the same signal it had always been. Then they would strike and destroy Trigon once and forever; or at least that was the plan.

Trigon walked across the room, his own plan in mind, and stopped at the foot of Raven's bed. He looked down at the apparently sleeping body of his daughter and he smiled down at her; his mouth was open in that smile and his teeth were wet with anticipation.

"Time to die, my beloved Raven." Trigon whispered; although he kept his voice loud enough that, all of the Titans could hear him. That was enough for Robin; he knew where Trigon was without opening his eyes and it was time; no one could doubt that now.

"Titan's Go!"

Things happened faster than anyone realized. Before he had even finished speaking the words, or opening his eyes, Robin was jumping out of bed and aiming a blast from his bo-staff at Trigon; but Trigon had been waiting for this. The demon curved in time and blocked the staff with one of his massive arms; which caused Robin to rocket backwards into his bed. Trigon's eyes flashed with deadly rainbow-colored lights; but Raven had not been sitting idly. Her anxious emotions had been a blessing after all, since was now aware of what was going on and was able to fire her own mental powers.

"No!"

Raven screamed, her powers flew from her hands. The timing was close; but it was enough. Raven's powers were quick enough to knock her father's head to the side. This caused his deadly blast to miss Robin completely; although it did tear a hole in the wall beside his bed and cause an explosion. Chaos had taken over the room. None of the Titans were in their beds and no one was sure who was winning the fight, or how the perfect trap had become just as screwed up as all of the other traps laid out in the past.

Trigon would attack, and the Titans would avoid. The Titans, who outnumbered him five to one, would attack; and Trigon would either block it or be unaffected. Beast Boy had delivered a powerful blow to one of the demon's legs in the form of a dog bite – but Trigon did not even take notice. Cyborg had fired his arm cannon; but somehow Trigon wound up on the other side of the room while Cyborg's blast destroyed a bird-a-rang that had been meant for the same target.

Not that Trigon's luck was much better. He would launch lasers from his eyes, hurl balls of flame from his fist, kick, smash, punch and break everything he could; but somehow the Titans managed to keep themselves from ever being seriously injured by his attacks. Starfire caught a painful punch to the gut; but she was away from him and returning the favor with a starbolt before Trigon could do any serious damage.

The confusion was incredibly; and that was what Slade had wanted. Already Slade and Grant had disposed of the guards quickly and quietly. Grant was an expert with guns and his silenced sidearm had been enough to dispatch the unsuspecting Tamaranian forces. Not all of them had succumbed to the quick, unprovoked firing; but Slade had struck down the two who had noticed before they could sound any alarm or fight back in any way.

Now Slade and Grant had arrived down the secondary secret passageway, made their way from the underground throne to the underground sleeping room and were waiting at the door.

"Which is the one I'm allowed to kill?" Grant asked, his eyes trying to follow the confusing conflict unraveling before him. (Trigon had just knocked Beast Boy into a wall; which prompted a very powerful blast from Raven.)

"Cyborg. He's half metal, you can't miss him." Slade responded as his single eye swished from side to side following the conflict. "I suggest you use hand to hand; or that sword of yours. We don't want the others catching any stray bullets."

"You take all the fun out of my job." Grant complained. "Just let him survive too; I'll be around to finish him off later."

Grant reached up to his back and drew his sword. He was no longer dressed like a civilian. His uniform was not unlike his father's, although it was much flashier. The blue and orange made him look almost as ridiculous as some of the second-rate superheroes at the Justice League. The mask looked almost like Batman's, only it was bright blue like the rest of his outfit. None of it really mattered though, since he had a large sword holstered on his back, and when you have a large sword, it does not matter what you wear.

The battle was still ensuing, and still no one could be sure who was winning. Trigon and the Titans were all taking more hits; but rather than slowing down it only prompted the combat to speed up. No one was willing to lose this battle and the worst the injury the quicker the recover and the harder the payback. That is when Slade and Grant struck.

Robin had been behind Trigon, he had just successfully struck the demon with a disc that froze whatever it hit upon explosion. The demon's backside was now coated in ice and it was defiantly not, what Trigon would have chosen to have happen. Before Robin could act again, however, Slade had an arm around his throat squeezing him from behind and cutting off his ability to breath or call for help. The one-eyed mercenary began whispering into the boy wonder's ear.

"When are you going to realize you can't win, Richard my boy?" Slade taunted. Robin fought with all his might to break Slade's grip on him; but to no avail. "Relax, if I wanted you dead you'd be dead. It's been that way since our first encounter, and it will remain that way until our final meeting. I just want you to remember that I am better than you in every way and that will _never_ change. One last thing, before you pass out – thank you for betraying me Robin; I don't know what I'd have done if I'd been stuck with you as an apprentice."

Robin did not hear another word. Neither his lungs nor his brain could receive oxygen being held like this, and despite a valiant effort, he passed out. Slade picked up the unconscious teenager and tossed him off to the side. Robin's body landed on the floor with a thud and he was defeated.

The others had been busy during Slade's latest of many confrontations with Robin. Trigon had continued his sparring with Raven, Beast Boy and Cyborg; while Grant and Starfire had found they preferred one-on-one with each other to the group scene.

Starfire had done her best; her starbolts had been filled with fury and passion, he punches had been strong and many, and her dodging skills were impeccable. Grant was the better fighter, though, and he proved it. Whenever Starfire would hurl a Starbolt; Grant would dodge it or bat it away with his sword. Whenever Starfire's eyebeams were fired at him, Grant would avoid them. When she realized she could not beat him at a distance she made the worst mistake she could have made – she went for close combat.

She threw a perfect punch; if it had connected with Grant's face it would have beaten him, perhaps even killed him. It did not connect with Grant's face, however – it connected with the edge of his sword exactly like the Ravager had planned. Starfire screamed as her skin was split and she went backwards – that is when the son-of-Slade switched from defense to offense. He leapt forward with a speed that made his father's look unimpressive and he began to beat Starfire. Repeatedly his fist connected with her stomach and she simply was not fast enough to stop him. Grant had dropped his sword by now and was focusing only on beating Starfire to death.

Slade picked the sword up, and then beat Grant in the side of the face with it. It had been the sword's flat side so that his son would survive; but it got the point across since it knocked the Ravager onto the floor. Starfire also fell on the floor, curled up in a ball.

"I told you not to kill them, Grant. I thought you wanted to prove you were better than me; not piss me off." Slade spat coldly.

This was the lucky break for the Titans. Grant could not stand for abuse like this from Slade. He would never allow that. He was back on his feet in an instant and he was attack again – but this time his father was his target.

Grant's was stronger than his father, and he was a better fighter too. Unfortunately for Grant, he was also nuts. His insanity and his zeal to prove how superior he really was had destroyed any advantage he could have had. What Slade lacked in physical strength and speed he made up for with a calm, clear head. It all boiled down to one simple fact. Slade was_ not_ insane; he was just evil. Grant on the other hand was utterly unstable.

That is why the fight was close, but in the end, Slade was the victory. They had both taken hits; but Slade had finally ended it quickly by driving his fist into his son's throat and following that up with a knee to the groin. It had suspended Grant's attacks long enough for Slade to knock him unconscious and throw his body over one shoulder.

Unfortunately, this was a huge setback in Slade's "perfect" plan. Trigon had still been in battle with Raven, Beast Boy and Cyborg and Raven's patience had long-since run out. Raven and Trigon had locked their mental powers together and began focusing on one another more than anything else. This had given Cyborg and Beast Boy the opportunity to deliver blow after blow upon the demon's body without him taking any notice.

Slade stopped to watch for a moment. He was tempted to let Trigon lose this battle – which he would. Trigon's body would break if he did not turn from Raven; and the second he turned from Raven she could focus her powers on his inner-soul and destroy him. On the other hand, if he did not turn away the other titans would eventually destroy his body and Raven would be able to overpower Trigon mentally and destroy his soul-self anyway. Either way this would be Trigon's final battle if Slade did not step in.

Slade _was_ tempted, he wanted Trigon dead and this was an easy way to get what he wanted. Still, Slade was too smart to do things the easy way. Instead, he reached up to the unconscious form of Grant and pulled a canister from his belt. Then Slade pulled the pin and rolled across the ground so it ended up between Trigon's legs and came to a stop at Raven's feet. Beast Boy and Cyborg both gasped, realizing what it was. Cyborg and Beast Boy wasted no time in pulling Raven away from the grenade; which broke her mental connection to Trigon.

"Trigon! We're leaving, hurry up!"

Trigon was not aware of what had been going on since he locked minds with Raven, but the pain surging through his body from Beast Boy and Cyborg's repeated assaults was enough to make him agree with Slade. He ran to where Slade stood with the unconscious body of Grant still over his shoulder and a moment later, the three disappeared in a flash of flames.

Cyborg and Beast Boy stood panting, each holding onto one of Raven's arms. Raven was leaning against the wall and using them for support as well. They were all wiped out from the battle and all of them were thankful for the departure of the villains. None of them could be quite sure as to what had happened, but after a few minutes, Raven managed to lift her head and curse very loudly.

"Whoa, what was that about?" Cyborg asked when Raven's profane speech had ended.

"The grenade was a dud." Raven pointed out, and it was Beast Boy and Cyborg's turn to stare and swear.

"And our plan has backfired." Starfire was still a wreck, but she was also still strong. The others had not seen how bad things were and all three of them gasped and hurried to her side. Raven had to float over to the redhead, who was struggling to sit up on her side, and when she got there, she had to fall on her knees at the other girl's side. Beast Boy and Cyborg bent over the two looking worried.

"How bad is it?" Raven asked.

"The pain is sever, but I will be alright." Starfire reassured her. Then Starfire's eyes, which had been only half-open until now, widened to their full size. She counted only three friends around her; and that was wrong. "Where is Robin?"

All of the Titans began a frantic search; although it was so short the only real searching was a matter of eyes flashing around the room and heads jerking in every direction before the boy wonder's limp form was identified in the corner where Slade had left it. Starfire tried to get up, but Raven flat out refused to let her and pushed her back down.

Instead, Cyborg hurried over to the unconscious body and bent down to check his vitals, although a moment later he quickly stepped backwards. Robin's eyes were still closed, but his mouth was open and he was now coughing – waking up. It took a while, but Robin's unsightly combination of coughing and struggling to sit up finally ended with the boy-wonder propping himself up against one of the half-destroyed beds and breathing heavily. When his eyes finally opened, he kept them pointed at the ground, rather than turning them to his friends.

"Did we all make it?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah." Raven responded.

"I'm here." Beast Boy chimed in.

"Still standing." Cyborg added.

"Robin you had me so worried when you would not awaken; I am so happy to see that you are not hurt but we must get healers now or I fear the damage will become –"

"Starfire." Robin cut her off, and she fell silent. "A simple 'I'm okay' would have done just fine."

As they were prone to do from time to time, all five Teen Titans began to laugh. They all enjoyed the laughter, and let it go on as long as they could.

Because they knew it would probably be their last group laugh for a while.

When the laughter finally did die away, it was replaced by silence. At length Robin broke that silence.

"I'm sure we've all got the same things going on in our heads." He said. "They beat us today. We aren't safe anywhere in this castle. Our plan backfired. Who was the other guy with them? The King and Queen won't be happy; and neither will Bruce or Galfore."

"Gee, you're even more cheerful than I am for a change; kudos Robin." Raven replied.

Robin looked up this time. He looked into the eyes of his friends and there was not a trace of depression, despair or discouragement in his eyes. If anything, he looked pleased. He wore a tiny little smirk on his lips and there was a passion burning behind his eyes. "We lost today; but that's okay. Forget how bad things look now and remember this: _We are not going to lose in the end_. They could have killed us; but they didn't. They wanted us humiliated, wallowing in our self-doubts and pity. Well I'm not giving them what they want. I won't lie; I don't know how this will end. We could win, we may all die. But I do know this; I won't stop. I won't be beaten. I won't give up hope until I'm dead; because I'm fighting for what's right. I'm fighting for all of you. That's why I'm not letting today get me down."

No one responded to what Robin said; but they all smiled. None of them really knew when the end was, or what the outcome would be. Because Robin was right; he was fighting for them and each of the Titans could honestly say in their hearts that they were fighting for the others too. The reasons may be different for some; and that was hardly the only reason they were fighting – but that was all just details. The bottom line was clear.

The villains should have finished them off when they had the chance; because the Teen Titans were _not_ giving up. Not now, not ever.

"Dude." Beast Boy chimed in suddenly, breaking the silence and causing all eyes to shift onto his green person. "That sounds great and all, and I'm totally for fighting to the end; but like Star said, can we call the healers _now_?"

* * *

"Some plan." Trigon growled, his fury rising as he paced back and forth throughout the caverns the villains had recently taken to using as a hideout. They moved their base of operations frequently for safety sake; although none of them expected to see the Titans recovering from their most recent beating anytime soon.

"The plan was to humiliate the Titans and prove our superiority; it worked perfectly." Slade responded bitterly. "You're only upset because you were injured; which is your own fault."

Trigon narrowed all four of his eyes in a menacing way, but he did not respond to the claims verbally. Instead, the dark ruler turned and looked down at the stony floor where Grant still lay unconscious. Slade had shown no mercy to his son and had not bothered to clean or treat his injuries in the slightest. Then Trigon made his next verbal move.

"If he hadn't turned against you in the battle things would have gone much better; and it was your idea to bring him along. You assured me he would not be a problem, Slade."

"No." Slade responded at once with a devious tone to his voice. "I told you my son hated me and would do anything to prove he was better than me. I told you he would _probably_ work for us only for the chance to show me up. You took false assurances in thinking he would only attack our enemies."

Trigon roared out in anger and turned around with a glaring growl. It was obvious that the demon was restraining himself from attacking Slade; but Slade did not blink. The one-eyed mercenary continued to stand strong, proud and tall without the slightest sign of remorse or fear.

"Well, what now?" Trigon asked at length when his temper was finally under control. "Do you have any more _brilliant, perfect plans_?"

"Of course." Slade replied arrogantly. The smug smirk that had been plastered to Trigon's face was suddenly turned upside down; he had obviously expected another answer.

"What is it then?" Trigon asked, caution in his voice.

"The Tamaranian's are a warrior culture. They have a lot of primitive beliefs and belief systems; but one in particular caught my eye." Slade responded with a child-like glee in his voice. Perhaps it was from what he was explaining, or from the fact, he was making Trigon wait to hear it. Either way he was enjoying it. "There's an old cult here on the planet that worships an idol called K'monte. The cult was harmless for a while; but recently it got a new leader. He's been rounding up slaves to dig for some ancient relic. Here's the fun part; anyone who they recruit as a slave who tries to escape, or refuses to dig, is used as a live sacrifice to K'monte. From what I've heard this cult is almost as deranged and sick as some of the ones that worship you."

Trigon was starting to see where Slade was going with this, but there was something missing. "You want to use this cult against the Titans somehow?"

"Indeed. It just so happens that the cult's new leader; the insanely sick one, is one of the head royal healers up at the castle. I daresay the Titans will be back under the care of the healers after that last battle."

Trigon suddenly understood. His eyes widened in a combination of twisted pleasure and newfound respect for Slade Wilson. The last plan may have been perfect; but this was sheer genius. There was a small problem, however.

"How do we get in contact with these cultists?" Trigon asked.

"As usual, I'm ahead of you." Slade replied. "Please step forward, High Priest Vladim'r."

Footsteps echoed in the cavern and Trigon turned his head to the right. Of course, he had sensed lifeforms in the deep darkness of the catacombs; but he had chalked it up to wild animals. It was not a wild animal that stepped forward though; but a Tamaranian man. He was not much as far as Tamaranian's went. He was built more like an average human being. His hair was red and long, pulled back into a ponytail. He had small scarlet goatee. Instead of traditional warrior garb, he wore a white robe with a large green banister down the front – the symbol of a Royal Healer.

"Trigon the Terrible, this is Vladim'r, High Priest of the Cult of K'monte; or as it's more affectionately known on this planet; the Cult of Everlasting Pain."

Vladim'r bent down low. "Master Slade and I have already spoken. I was to be the backup plan in the off chance your attempt was unsuccessful. I have checked, and if the Titans are placed under my care, my follows and I can take two of them to our temple. When we get them there I assure you they will be given only one choice; dig or die."

Trigon's face twisted into amusement. He was an expert when it came to deranged cultists, as cults all over the universe worshiped the tyrant. In fact, Raven's mother had been a cultist from Earth. "Once again Slade you've proven to be more useful than any other human I've ever met."

"You approve of the plan, then?" Slade could not help but rub it in a little with his sarcasm in the statement.

"Yes." Trigon snapped back curtly, deciding to overlook the sarcasm that dripped from Slade's voice. "I have only question left."

"What is it, Master Trigon?" Vladim'r asked with a tiny smile tugging at his lips; it looked like he would be getting a new set of slaves.

"You said you could only take two of the Titans." Trigon confirmed. "So which ones are you taking?"

* * *

**A/N**: Hmm. Trigon's asking a good question; unfortunately you'll have to wait till chapter sixteen for the answer. Don't worry though; I've already got chapter _sixteen _**AND**_ seventeen_ planned out in detail. I just need to write them and you'll get two updates in the very near future.

Until then, thanks for reading, reviews would be cool, and remember: _expect the unexpected_.

**-Golden-sama**


	16. Kidnapped By Cultists

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Sixteen**

"**Kidnapped By Cultists"**

**A/N**: No pre-chapter notes today; so instead I used the space to respond to the reviews. Huge thanks to everyone who took the time to leave a review; it means a lot to me.

**Ryoko-onee**: Thank you very much. It really inspires me when people say things like that; and it's that inspiration that makes it able for me to put out chapters so quickly. I'm glad you were inspired to write too! Writing is fun, isn't it? As for the characters being depressed, well, let's just say they better not get depressed; I'm not finished with them yet. –_insert evil cackle here_-

**scathac's warrior**: It is so freaky that you mentioned Vladim'r's name being like Vlad Dracula, since that's **_exactly_** where I got the name from. I was going to mention it in the ending notes of this chapter; but it appears you've beaten me to it. Kudos m'friend.

**xBxMYxJaMeSxDeANxcandyclouds:** Oh come on, Cliffhangers are great! I know they're evil, and I know it's different for you since you don't know what will happen next when I do; but isn't the suspense wonderful? The reason I use them so much is because I love them. I know it's irksome to have to wait, believe me I hate waiting during cliffhangers too; but then when the next installment finally comes the suspense makes it even better; in my opinion anyway. -

**Jordanals**: Oh, Trigon _sounds_ stupid; but believe me, there's more to him than meets the eye; or has been revealed in the story yet. I'm afraid you'll have to wait a few more chapters to see what I'm talking about; but I doubt you'll be disappointed when the time comes.

**DarkSin**: Well I'm glad you enjoyed it; and I hope I updated soon enough for you.

**IllegalDayNightSappingIguana**: Hmm. I think I will ask. Just for the fun of it. I'm irritating when I say things like that, aren't I? Who is going to go? Well I could tell you; but it's revealed in this chapter. I hope I didn't make you wait _too_ long between updates.

* * *

The Titans had survived their latest encounter with Slade and Trigon; but once again, they found themselves in need of medical attention. Slade, Trigon and the new assailant who had joined them had proven by the attack that there was nowhere safe. The underground bunker was the safest place on Tamaran – and it had been broken into. The Titans were not safe on this planet and that would not change. Still, the bunker was _safer_ than the actual infirmary; and because of that, the Titans had not moved.

The underground bunker had been transformed into a makeshift infirmary; new beds had been brought in to replace the ones destroyed in the battle, and new security had been added. The finest soldiers of the Tamaranian military had been pulled from their routine duties and now guarded every entrance and exit of the bunker – inside and out. The only people being allowed inside were the King, Queen, Galfore, the human called Wayne, and the healers.

Now the Titans were asleep; all of them. Of everyone, Starfire had suffered the worst injuries. The newest addition to Slade's team of psychos had showed her no mercy with his sword or his fists. The healers had already mended the scars and stopped the bleeding; but many scars and bruises that would require addition healing and the passage of time before they faded scared her beauty.

Robin had also received quite the beating; having been beaten by Slade and tossed aside like an old rag doll. The healers had been able to treat his physical wounds easily and they had not bothered him too badly anyway. He'd had worse before, and he would have worse again. However, Robin's mental state was low. He had given a speech and helped rouse team moral before; and he believed what he'd said. The Titans would not give up. He just wasn't sure they'd win. All the traps, the beatings – it was discouraging. In addition, the unknown fiend who had beaten Starfire without mercy was another pitfall. Robin would not give up; but his optimism was low. In the back of his mind the same question kept repeating over and over again – how long could death be cheated? How long could this game go on before someone – either a Titans or one of their enemies – died?

As for the others, they were simply worn out. Raven's mental battle with Trigon had drained her mind, body and soul. She was sleeping a dreamless sleep now and would not be waking up until she absolutely had too. Beast Boy was relatively unharmed by the battle, aside from a few lesser injuries – but he was just as wiped out as the others. Cyborg too, while less beaten and battered than his fellow Titans, was just as tired. They all appreciated the sleep, though they all knew it would be their shortest rest yet.

This had to end. They had to find a way to stop Slade and Trigon. The traps, the manipulation, and the battles – it was too much. Too many had died, too many had been injured – something had to be done soon. The reality was they could _not_ cheat death forever; and if something didn't happen soon it really may be the end of the Teen Titans. The possibility was frightening, but it was also very real.

Robin just wasn't sure _how_ it could end. The night it had begun, when Shady had first informed them of the Original Trials and they had agreed to come to Tamaran; Robin had believed the entire ordeal would last a month; and would be a simple series of tests for himself and Starfire; with the others along as moral support. Things had changed dramatically since that night. It was about much more than just he and Starfire now; and the plans for the length of their stay had already changed. There was no timeline. There was no telling when they would return to Earth. There was only one constant through the entire thing. Only one thing had remained true; the Trials.

While the Trials Robin and Starfire were still planning to undergo were not the same Trials Shady had told them about, they were still the Trials; and that was still the only constant through the entire thing. In all honesty, Robin did _not_ need an ancient ritual to confirm his love for Starfire; and he knew she felt the same way for him. Perhaps the best thing Robin could do would be to call of the whole thing off and take the Titans back to Earth; then even if Slade and Trigon continued the attacks, the Titans could have the home field advantage and access to their familiar equipment.

It may be the wisest thing to do; but it wasn't an option. He knew Starfire would understand, and he was sure everyone would enjoy the return to Titan's Tower; but it was _not_ an option. They had been through too much to just call it quits; even if it was the best course of action. Perhaps he was just being stubborn; or maybe he had been looking forward to the Trials more than he realized. Whatever the case, Robin wanted to see this thing through to the end – whatever that end might be.

Now, however, Robin's mind was free of these worries as he slept. The five Titans all slept, and while it was not the best sleep they had gotten; it was better than nothing. The military stood by keeping a close watch on them, and it appeared that for once they might make it through the night without an incident.

However, appearances are often deceiving.

The main entrance to the underground bunker suddenly began to echo with the sounds of approaching people. The Tamaranian Military Guard all took their stands right away. The ones inside the makeshift infirmary each took to guarding the sleeping Titans with their lives; their hands and eyes already glowing fiercely with the light of waiting starbolts. The guards outside the makeshift infirmary each headed towards the entrance and held steady. If something was coming it, it had better have permission.

Vladim'r appeared at the entrance; three of his fellow healers following suit a moment the later. The military men instantly lowered their guard and stepped backwards in reverence; Vladim'r was one of the Royal Healers, and one of the most respected men on the planet. He was small and considered 'creepy' by many; but he was a genius in the spiritual arts of healing and he had served the Royal Family faithfully for years. He was _not_ scheduled to check on the Titans; but none of them could have guessed his real intentions. To the guards, his presence was an honor and a blessing. His had to be here to heal the princess and her friends; right?

"Word reached me about Princess Koriand'r and the Titans from Earth." Vladim'r announced in his commanding voice. For one so small, he could enchant an entire room with his voice alone. It was deep, powerful and mystical. "I am here to speed the recovery process as much as my powers shall allow. Might I pass?"

The guards quickly showed that he could, and they all stepped aside. They even bowed to him, as they would have if he were the King or Queen; for in their eyes he was just as powerful. Spiritual and Religious leaders are often more influential than the royals – although they had no clue of his true religious beliefs. Had they known of the Cult of K'monte they would have arrested Vladim'r and treated him like a psycho; but he was the last man they'd suspect of being a believer in that rubbish.

"Are there other guards inside the room?" Vladim'r asked as he approached the door that separated the throne from the makeshift infirmary. One of the guards nodded his head, and Vladim'r stopped short of opening the door. "Hmm. Then we had best do this quickly."

The guards were probably been confused by this; but none of them lived long enough to show it if they were. As soon as Vladim'r had spoken, his three fellow healers – and fellow cultists – leapt into action. The healers attacked with Tamaranian weapons that seemed to be a cross between police batons and tasers. The guards were shocked the moment the batons touched them and the electricity surged through their bodies so quickly it immobilized them and dropped them to the floor; none of them could fight back or call for help; just as Vladim'r had planned.

Vladim'r stepped forward now. The guards on the floor were immobile and mute and could only watch with wide eyes as Vladim'r twisted true self was revealed. The darkness behind his eyes that was hidden behind sweet words and pleasant smiles was now radiating throughout his entire body and no one could have doubted how black his soul really was.

"Akumu Baku Korosu!" He called out in a loud voice. The incantation had been found in an old scroll left by the original cult of K'monte, which had been disbanded years ago after the Tamaranian Military had raided their hideout on orders from the Royal Family. It had been his discover of that scroll that first interested Vladim'r in the strange cult; and he'd mastered its secrets. This spell was commonplace in the Cult of K'monte; it was a killing spell. It didn't inflict the "everlasting pain" the cult worshiped; it was just a quick way to extinguish life.

Upon speaking the words, Vladim'r lifted his hands. For a moment, green clouds swirled around the tips of his fingers; and then green bolts of lightning erupted from beneath his fingernails and surged into the bodies of the fallen guards. They died painlessly, instantly and without sound; although they may have screamed if they had not already been mute from before.

"Quickly! We must be back at the temple before daybreak!" Vladim'r called out in his harsh voice. The other healers hurried into the room; they had been given orders on who was too be kidnapped and how they could be identified. Vladim'r followed behind; there were still guards inside the room and they'd have to be taken out in the same fashion.

As they entered the room, the guards inside made the same display of respect for Vladim'r as their now-deceased comrades. None of them had seen the bodies outside; at least not in time. Vladim'r's healers wasted no time. They spread out, making it appear as if they were going to the Titan's bedsides; when in fact they were each taking an idea location. As soon as he was satisfied with their chances; Vladim'r nodded his head and his fellow healers once again drew their taser batons and struck the guards. The guards attacked by the batons fell just as quickly and quietly as the ones outside; and the two who had been leftover couldn't react fast enough. They turned to see their comrades under attack; but Vladim'r took it upon himself to take care of them. Though they were not subdued or muted; Vladim'r spoke his magical words again and flashed each of the five guards with the green death spell from before. The three on the floor died in an instant without a sound. The two who were standing did not scream, but the fall of their bodies did admit a loud echo throughout the makeshift infirmary.

Vladim'r held his breath; but none of the Titans woke up. After a brief hesitation, he became satisfied. The guards were all dead; and there was nothing left to do but the actual deed.

Now for the tricky part. He did not know the condition of the Titans; and he didn't want to take chances on them awakening too soon. However, that wouldn't be a problem. He may be a deranged cultist and a traitor; but he _was_ a healer, and he did have access to sleeping drugs. He nodded his head once again and two of the healers with him began digging in their robes. They withdrew needles and quickly injected the selected victims with the drugs. The drugs were designed for Tamaranians; and they were potent enough to keep even the strongest of warriors in a sleep-like stupor for hours. Once the victims had been drugged, Vladim'r let out a sigh of relief. They would get away with this.

"Carry them, gently. We don't want our new slaves to be damaged before they can dig." Vladim'r smirked as he spoke. He watched in satisfaction as two of his underlings reached down and carefully cradled Starfire and Beast Boy in their arms.

Then, without another word, Vladim'r and his followers made a hasty retreat from the bunker and the castle; successful in their attempt to kidnap Princess Koriand'r and Garfield Logan.

* * *

The hours seemed to creep by slowly. The morning sun took its time in rising and sending out its light; the dark deeds that had been committed in the night seemed destined to remain undiscovered a little while longer. The guards who had died had been on duty until mid-morning; no one would miss them for a while longer. The true healers had no reason to check on the titans until the shifting of the guard; and they would not. The only chance the Titans would have of awakening early would be if the drugs wore off which they did.

The three healers who had administered the sleeping drugs had done so like professionals – almost. One of them had been slacking in duty; it was because of his zeal to impress Vladim'r. When he had filled his needle for the mission, he'd filled it from the wrong bottle. Rather than a sleeping agent able to take down an elephant in mere seconds, he had brought along a harmless dye used for the Tamaranian equivalent of an X-Ray. On the inside, one of the Titans was probably lit up like a Christmas tree; but drugs were not keeping him asleep, only his injuries. That Titan was Robin.

Those injuries were not enough to keep him asleep for long. There were no windows in the underground bunker, of course; but as the sunlight crept through the windows of the actual castle, Robin began to stir. Slowly at first, just a few twitches and movements. He did not want to wake up – but his body disagreed and he couldn't return to sleep. Finally, he surrendered and opened his eyes. For a few minutes, he just lay there on his back, staring up at the ceiling and enjoying the silence. His mind was clear and calm, as most minds are upon awakening – but all too quickly Robin's usual sharpness returned to him and he bolted upright in bed.

Where was the snoring?

He was sharing the same room as Beast Boy; and everyone knew Beast Boy snored. However he'd been lying here in total silence – that was wrong. Robin looked across the room to the bed he'd seen his friend lying in the night before – and the bed was empty. Not only that, but as Robin looked he noticed the vacancy in Starfire's bed as well.

Instantly Robin was wide-awake, any trace of sleep completely gone from his body and mind. They were missing; Slade was up to something. Robin's first task was to spring from bed and pull a bird-a-rang from his belt; which he now slept in thanks to recent events. Robin quickly looked around the room, taking in the entire situation and keeping his guard up. He noticed the deceased guards on the ground, the empty beds, and one more thing that surprised him. Raven and Cyborg appeared to be fine. They were both in bed, sleeping as soundly as he had been moments ago.

That was both reassuring and discouraging. He could add it all up now. Starfire and Beast Boy were missing; the others were not. Slade had kidnapped the two and were planning to use them in some kind of trap. The question was what kind of trap? He couldn't see Slade as the type to take hostages like this. Moreover, if he had wanted them for hostages, why take Starfire and Beast Boy? Robin and Raven were the calmer, cooler and clearer headed of the two couples – in short Robin and Raven could launch a better rescue operation than Starfire and Beast Boy.

He could be planning to use the emotional connection once again. It was no secret by now who was a couple; but why? Slade would _not_ kill Starfire and Beast Boy; he'd have no reason too and Robin knew Slade didn't do things without a reason. If they weren't used as hostages, then perhaps they were taken as a distraction. Slade could be using the kidnapping to keep the Titans from his true objective – that was a lot closer to his style. However, up until now his goal seemed to be the Titans; what else could he be after on Tamaran? What else but the pure satisfaction of tormenting and defeating the Teen Titans would have brought Slade so far from his own home and made him align himself with Trigon?

Robin was beginning to suspect something else; something much worse. The Titans may have a new enemy. Many people had died since the Titans had shown up; many attacks had been made and the regular routine of Tamaran's Palace had been shattered. It was possible that someone wanted the Titans out of the way; and they were becoming violent. It was also possible that some of the Tamaranian Military had become fed up with losing so many members protecting the kids; and they were doing the opposite now. There were too many "What Ifs" and "Maybes" – and too little time. Robin admitted it was possible that someone else was behind this; but that didn't matter. There was no evidence one way or another and the best place to start his search would be Slade; it was simple. So far, everything could be traced back to Slade; and the history had been established repeatedly.

It seemed like Robin had thought about things for a long time; but in reality, he had gotten through all of this in a matter of minutes. Once he had decided what he was going to do, it was time to awaken the other Titans.

Robin sprinted across the room to Raven's bedside and he bent down over her. As softly as he could he gripped her shoulders and shook her awake; all in all a dangerous task in itself. Raven was well known for her bad moods and quick temper; and waking her up in a hurry, especially when she was tired, was a mistake. However, after a few seconds Robin realized that something else was wrong. No matter how tired she was, Raven would wake up – and right now she wasn't. From the rise and fall of her chest, and the shallow sounds coming from her nose and mouth he knew she was still breathing. She didn't appear to be wounded either – which was only making Robin's suspicion and confusion grow by the second.

Sprinting the entire way, Robin headed for Cyborg's bed. He tried to wake his friend in the same way; although he wasn't as gentle. Robin knew that Cyborg's systems were shutdown; but the human side should still awaken. However, after a quick, violent shake from the boy wonder it was clear that he would not wake up either. Robin's friends were alive, and perfectly safe; but they were asleep. It didn't take a genius to realize someone had drugged them. Robin had returned his bird-a-rang to the belt when he attempted to awaken Raven; and now his hand returned to it. He paused, however, and selected to withdraw his bo-staff instead. Something had happened here last night. The guards were dead, two friends were missing, and the other two drugged. Slade had been busy.

Robin turned once again, this time to go look for the healers. His heart told him he needed to be out looking for Starfire – but his head told him his place was here. He had to worry about Raven and Cyborg right now. It seemed impossible to choose between friends, but his mind was every bit as strong as his heart. He didn't believe Starfire was in any immediate danger; and he knew he couldn't save her alone. Besides, Raven was Raven; she and Robin went back much further than any of the other Titans, and they understood one another the best as well – he could not leave her like this. Cyborg was Robin's best friend, and had been for quite some time. To leave him in a time of need was unacceptable and irresponsible – two things Robin most certainly was not.

However, as Robin was halfway out the door he heard the sounds of someone waking up. His trip to find the healers was cut off and instead he spun around on his heels yet again. His eyes locked on Raven instant and he saw that she _was_ waking up; she was just taking her time. Robin moved as quickly as his legs would carry him to reach her bedside; he arrived in time for her eyes to open.

Raven took one look at his face and sighed. "Trouble?" She asked quietly, her voice a mixture of sarcasm, expectation and annoyance.

"Beast Boy and Starfire are missing; we were drugged." Robin explained in one breath. Raven closed her eyes once again and her face contorted into an obvious mixture of anger, worry and irritation.

"Slade?" She asked, opening her eyes and setting her sights on Robin once again. She swallowed back a yawn and waited for his answer.

"Probably. Raven, can you sense them?"

Raven nodded. "You know I can, give me a second." Raven shut her eyes again and began to chant her mantra quietly. It took much longer than Robin wanted; he was anxious. However, Robin also knew that without a calm, clear mind, Raven couldn't locate their missing friends – powers or not; so he was forced to wait anyway. A few minutes passed, and then Raven opened her eyes looking just as anxious.

"I'm being blocked." She muttered irritably.

That was _not_ good news. "Are you sure Raven?"

Raven nodded. "I can't sense them at all. Even if they left the planet recently, or even if they were dead, I could still pick _something_ up; but I have nothing. Like they never existed. It's the only explanation."

Robin cursed and stomped one of his feet. Then he balled his fist. "Trigon has to be doing it. We've got to find him _and_ Slade; and we've got to move fast."

Cyborg suddenly began twitching and the pair looked over to their right at him. Raven shook her head. "You explain it to him, I'll keep trying my luck; maybe we'll at least get a direction to look in."

Robin nodded and sprang into action a moment later. Informing Cyborg was just like informing Raven; although it took less time and Cyborg was louder about his annoyance than the Goth. However, a few minutes and a few swear words later and all three reaming Titans were now caught up with the limited information they had.

"I can't locate them." Raven sighed as the boys walked over to her bed. She levitated herself up off the sheets and floated in front of them.

"Then we go after Slade and Trigon; they're our best lead." Robin decided in his usual leader-like manner. "We go now, and we go alone."

"You're keeping the others out of this?" Cyborg asked, skeptic. "Star's parents, Bruce and Galfore; none of the others? Is that really a good idea man?"

"It's the best thing we can do for them. This is about the Teen Titans and _our_ enemies. If we get the others involved it'll only wind up getting more military men killed; and probably wind up injuring our friends – emotionally at least, if not physically." Robin explained quickly.

"I hate to interrupt." Raven suddenly burst out. "But I've got something."

"Slade?" Robin asked, eagerly.

"BB and Star?" Cyborg suggested.

"I can't sense any of them, or my father; but I _can_ sense that guy who was with them in the last attack." Raven replied, she had picked up Grant Wilson's life force from where he lay inside Slade and Trigon's hideout, still unconscious. "It's the best chance we have."

"Then let's stop wasting time." Robin replied. "Titans, Go!"

* * *

**A/N**: Just incase you don't know, Vladim'r's "Magic Words" are actually just Japanese. I got tired of making up Tamaranian words, so I decided to use the Japanese words for "Nightmare" (Akumu), "Monster/Ghoul" (Baku) and "Kill" (Korosu). Vladim'r, he was named after a vampire, speaks Japanese and leads a cult of demon worshipers; and now he has Starfire and Beast Boy. Cliffhangers suck, don't they?

Thank you for reading, reviews would be nice, more _Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You_ is coming soon; I promise!

**-Golden-Sama**


	17. Starfire's Rebellion

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Seventeen**

"**Starfire's Rebellion"  
**

**A/N**: No real notes, just reviews of the reviews. Thanks again for your feedback.

**IllegalDayNightSnappingIguana**: Hyper. Now there's a feeling I can relate too. Not today, since I didn't sleep at all last night; but in general.

You're right, it is hard to find time to update. I just get lucky with my quickness 'cause I can't leave the house and my mom works at the office during the week; so I have several hours a day in which I literally have nothing to do. Although once my legs heal I'll be able to leave the house again, and update speed might diminish for me.

O'course Beast Boy had to be taken; I'm very cruel to him. I don't know why, I like Beast Boy. He's actually one of my favorite characters. I just tend to have him beaten, burnt, nearly-killed, turn traitor, and now I've let him be kidnapped by evil cultists. Hmm. Maybe I should lighten up on the guy, huh? I can see how you'd realize it wasn't going to be Cyborg; Cyborg really has added very little to this fanfic at all. I don't know why.

Heh, I must stop typing now too. Well, no, I have to keep typing; I just have to start typing the actual chapter so I get it done today. As always, thank you for your review. It always makes me feel good to know people are reading.

**Dramaelfie:** Well thank you! I'm glad you think so; and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.

**Pickles12**: I have written more; and here it is. Chapter Seventeen; hope the wait wasn't too long.

Hope the wait wasn't too long on everyone. I've got a ton of inspiration and I'll have the computer every day till Friday; so I have a sneaky suspicious that Eighteen will be up very soon. Enough notes though; time for the fanfiction!

* * *

It was brilliant.

Trigon had always considered himself superior to everyone, in every way; and this was proof in his opinion. He had sat back and allowed Slade to make the decisions. He had allowed Slade to form the plans, to execute them, and he had allowed Slade to treat him like a fool. Indeed, Trigon probably looked like he was nothing more than a big red demon that shouted a lot and was obsessed with killing his daughter.

Hah. If only they knew. Slade, the Titans – none of them could even begin to ponder what was going on inside Trigon's supreme mind. They all seemed to miss the point – which was simple. Slade made things complicated by his various schemes and plans and his hidden agendas. The Titans made things even more complicated by trying to avoid traps and turn them around on their attackers. When would they understand that it was all very simple?

Trigon the Terrible was having fun; and when that fun stopped, everyone was going to die. That was the bottom line.

Before, in the infirmary; Trigon had screwed up. He knew that. He had allowed his anger to cloud his better judgment; and he had paid the price when Cyborg and Beast Boy had beaten him. It was a stupid mistake; and it would not happen again. Still, despite his mistake; Trigon was enjoying himself. On the outside, he may appear to be a big stupid demon that barked orders at Slade and broke things when he did not get his way – and there was some truth to that; he had trouble controlling his anger – but he was much more than that. He was cold, calculating and a sheer genius.

When Trigon wanted things to end, they would end. His plan – his real, true plan – had not changed. He would torment his daughter and her friends for as long as it remained entertaining; and then he would simply devour Tamaran. He would eat the planet. Slade, the Titans, the natives – he would eat them all once they bored him; and then he would move on and find a new way to occupy his time. It was simplicity. He was immortal; the only way to truly stop Trigon would be to destroy him. Every inch of his body, every fiber of his being would have to be annihilated. Each individual atom that made up his being would need to be destroyed before he'd be gone for good.

He was immortal; he was invincible; and he was having fun watching the people around him. The lesser species. It was fun to him, watching them struggle with one another. The plans, the traps, the failures and the victories – none of it really mattered. Trigon merely had to play the role of "big stupid demon" a little longer; and then he could enjoy a hearty laugh at the end when he destroyed all life on the planet – by devouring the planet.

* * *

Beast Boy was confused. Confusion was not really a new emotion for him, but this time the confusion mixed with a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach; and that worried him. Things were different now than they had been when he went to sleep.

Firstly, he really did not want to be awake yet. He had been in the middle of a delightful dream involving Raven, massive amounts of tofu and a swimming pool filled with chocolate sauce. He didn't have time to reflect on it now, though, since his current situation was about as bad as the dream had been good.

Now Beast Boy was sitting on a cold, stone floor. There wasn't much light and his eyes were having trouble adjusting to the darkness. However, the tired feelings that had been keeping his senses at bay were finally dispersing and he was beginning to realize just how bad his current state of affairs was. He was able to confirm two important things at this point; he was not in the palace and he was not alone.

"Starfire!" Beast Boy noticed the unconscious body of his friend, lying a few feet away from where he sat. He was relieved to see a familiar face; but he wasn't too happy about her condition. She was still asleep – at least Beast Boy hoped she was only sleeping – and they were still stuck in a dark, unknown place.

Beast Boy scampered over to Starfire's body and was relieved to see she was still breathing. They had been kidnapped; it was becoming clear. Beast Boy didn't know by whom (although he had a good guess) nor did he know why it was only the two of them. Instantly he began to worry about the others – and just as quickly he stopped. He had to focus. He had to wake Starfire up; that was his first priority. If he panicked now it would be bad.

"Starfire, wake up!" Beast Boy bent down low towards her face and began trying to awaken her. He didn't want to shout – since he didn't know who or what else may be around – but he couldn't whisper either. It was confusing, and irritating. Luck, it seemed, was returning. Starfire yawned and opened her eyes; for a moment, she had a sleepy smile on her face. Then she blinked several times and her face turned from sleepy, to curious.

"Friend, why are so close to my face?" Starfire asked; she was her usual sweet self but it was clear she was also a little uneasy about waking up to find Beast Boy leaning over her. Beast Boy took no notice of the uneasy; he was relieved she was alive and he was also preoccupied thinking about how bad things still looked.

"Starfire; we're in trouble." Beast Boy responded. He backed himself up so that Starfire could sit up; which she did. Instantly Starfire blinked again and the uneasy, sleepy face she'd been wearing turned serious.

"What – Beast Boy, where are we?" Now that Starfire had sat up, she quickly realized she wasn't in her bed; or her castle. Any trace of sleep was gone; replaced with the same worry and insecurity that had tackled Beast Boy upon his awakening.

"I think we were kidnapped Star. We're not in the palace or the bunker-thingy; that's for sure." Beast Boy responded. It was apparent that they hadn't come here by their own choice; and things like this had been going on for so long he had a good guess as to who had kidnapped them.

"What of Robin?" Starfire asked suddenly, the worry in her voice doubled. "And Raven and Cyborg?"

Beast Boy sighed and looked down at his feet. "I don't know Star. I haven't seen any sign of them; and I don't have my communicator."

"Your alien devices won't work in this temple anyway, Beast Boy."

Both Starfire and Beast Boy froze for a moment. A third voice was speaking from behind them. They both realized very quickly that it wasn't Slade or Trigon; or anyone else they could recognize. That added to the confusion – and the danger; but it did not change their reaction. Robin may not have been there to say his usual lines; but the reaction was tattooed into their brains. Starfire's fists and eyes became green; and Beast Boy became a tiger. They both turned to find themselves face to face with Vladim'r; and several of his followers.

"You can resist, but I assure you we will defeat you." Vladim'r hissed. "My magicks are stronger than you can imagine, and each of the men behind me are willing to die for our cause if they have too. We worship death and pain; and embrace both willingly. So by all means, attack us – it will only prolong the inevitable."

Starfire and Beast Boy remained immobile. Neither of them lowered their defenses; but both admitted secretly to themselves that they were outnumbered at least three to one; and these people looked serious. Each of the Cultists behind Vladim'r was holding a knife of some kind; some had more than one. Vladim'r himself had no weapon, but he had mentioned something about magic and both Titans knew from experience that magical enemies could be a real pain.

Since they paused, however, Vladim'r began to speak again with a dangerously smug voice. "Good choice. Now allow me to explain some things to you. My name is Vladim'r, and I am the Archpriest of the Cult of K'monte. You are in our temple. You now have two choices. You can surrender and serve K'monte as slaves of this temple; if you choose this you will be digging for important artifacts; but you will be alive. Your second choice is to resist; in which case you will either be killed now, or captured and used as a live sacrifice to K'monte. Those are your only choices; so choose."

Starfire knew what she wanted to do, and she knew what she had to do. Unfortunately, they weren't the same thing. She _wanted_ to charge forward and teach Vladim'r a very painful lesson about kidnapping people and threatening them – but she would not. The truth was, they were outnumbered. Vladim'r and his followers were too numerous for Starfire and Beast Boy to fight – and there was another problem. She did not know where Robin, Raven or Cyborg were; or what condition they were in. For all she knew they too had been kidnapped and were being held somewhere else. She doubted it, though. She believed they were busy trying to rescue their stolen comrades now. Which is why she made the choice she did.

Reluctantly, Starfire let the green fury die from her hands and eyes and she dropped her hands to her side. Beast Boy seemed to have reached the same conclusion in his head too – because a moment after Starfire surrendered, he resumed his human form and did the same. Vladim'r seemed please.

"Excellent choice. Take them away." Vladim'r turned with a satisfied smirk and began to walk away; as he did, the other healers swarmed around Starfire and Beast Boy and began leading them off into the dark. The Titans paid more attention to each other than their surroundings; preferring to shoot cryptic glances and ask wordless questions with their faces rather than study where they were going. They needed an escape plan.

All too quickly they had reached a new room; this one had plenty of light, and plenty to see. Things became clear very quickly – and both titans gasped out in horror as they did. Firstly, they learned they were in some sort of temple. The walls and ceiling were all-old and made of stacked stone; with etches of symbols and runes carved in them. Starfire didn't recognize any of them; so she guessed it was an older temple. The second and much more horrifying thing they noticed was they were not alone. The floors of the temple, at least in this room, had been removed. Now there was only dirt and rock – and tons of slaves digging in the rock. Men, women and children, all Tamaranians, were gathered all over the room. Each wore tattered clothing and was covered in a mixture of dirt, sweat and blood – they'd all been here a while. Each carried different mining tools and each was hard at work; and each looked to be in sheer hell. There were cultists around too; many of them. Each cultist was dressed the same as those leading Beast Boy and Starfire; and they each carried a whip, knife or staff and looked like they enjoyed tormenting any slave who slacked off.

"This is horrible." Beast Boy whispered. He was shocked to see something like this; it was truly a sickening sight.

"Silence!" One of the Cultists shouted as his whip cracked. "You have no reason to speak!"

Beast Boy gulped. Things were worse than he imagined. Fighting back was impossible – there were too many of his fellow slaves around who would undoubtedly get hurt. Besides, if these cultists were even half as sick as Vladim'r they would probably attack all of the slaves if Beast Boy and Starfire tried to escape. Once again it was clear they had made the only choice they could; digging would have to do for now.

"These are yours." One of the Cultists had appeared in front of Starfire and Beast Boy and thrown a pair of shovels on the ground in front of them. "Pick a spot and start digging. Your job is to dig. Talking is not required. If you find _anything,_ you show it to one of us right away; or you will be tortured. Understand?"

Without waiting for an answer, the cultist turned and walked away. Apparently they weren't afraid of an escape attempt. Beast Boy and Starfire reluctantly took the shovels and hurried down into one of the digging pits. It was relatively empty – only a young boy was inside, hammering away at the old rock. A few cultists were standing nearby; as well as some other Tamaranian men who weren't dressed like the healers; they were hired guards. They didn't believe in the cult; but they worked for them. Each was large and dressed primarily in black.

Starfire choose a spot she hoped would allow them some privacy. They could be seen, of course; but hopefully they could whisper to each other without attracting unwanted attention. She began to dig; and Beast Boy did the same. Neither of them really concentrated on the work; and neither of them used their full strength. They'd need to save it for their escape – if it ever came.

"Starfire, I'm sure the others are looking for us right now." Beast Boy whispered the first chance he got.

"How can you be sure they are not here as well? Already forced into digging for these monsters?" Starfire asked back, her temper was near the surface and her voice was as hot as steam. She was nearing her breaking point. She'd been beaten, kidnapped and now she was forced to watch innocent people be forced into horrible labor.

"If someone gave Raven and shovel and told her to dig, she'd totally do that creepy demon thing she does." Beast Boy responded, a small grin slipping past his face. "And dude, Robin wouldn't listen to these guys either. That's why they kidnapped us Star; think about it, we're the softies."

"I will show them soft." Starfire hissed back, her eyes burning with fury. Beast Boy was surprised – he hadn't seen Starfire this angry in a long time. Usually it took people like Kitten, or Blackfire to bring this side of Starfire out – and even then she wasn't like this.

"Starfire, calm down." Beast Boy whispered quickly. "We're outnumbered; if we start a fight now then it won't just be us who gets hurt. The other slaves will get blasted too."

"You do not understand!" Starfire was still whispering; but her voice was loud and it would be hard for the guards _not_ to hear her if she continued this way. "The people of Tamaran look up to my family to protect them from things like this; but my family has been too preoccupied with the Trials to do anything."

"Star, I don't know your parents all that well; but from what I've seen they look like the type who would have gone all-out on these cultists if they knew what was happening. And now that we're here, I'm sure they'll send in the entire military as soon as they realize what happened."

Starfire wasn't convinced. Either because of her anger, or her doubts. "How will they find us?" She asked him, her voice quieted and calmer but still dangerously loud.

"Raven'll find us." Beast Boy responded at once. "You know the whole mind thingy? She'll tell Robin, and Robin will tell your dad, and your dad will get the military and then all the cultists will get what they deserve; but dude, we have to wait on them. I want to fight these guys just as bad as you do Star, but I don't want to get these other slaves in any trouble."

"We're in trouble already."

Beast Boy and Starfire's conversation suddenly came to an abrupt stop. They both turned to find the young slave boy who had been digging in the corner of the same pit. He was still digging and his back was turned to them; but he had obviously moved much closer, eavesdropping.

"Keep digging!" The boy hissed. "Don't let the guards see you stop!"

Starfire and Beast Boy quickly took his advice.

"My name is Taro." The boy explained. "And you are Princess Koriand'r, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am." Starfire replied. She didn't bother to ask the boy how he'd known it was her. Their conversation must have tipped him off; that or he had seen her before.

"I'm a bit confused by what I heard." Taro responded. "However, I can tell you this – we've been planning a revolt against the cultist for weeks now. Every one of us, man, woman and child alike have already agreed we would rather fight than dig. If we all fight together, we outnumber the cultists by three to one. We could win."

Starfire blinked. "Then why haven't you?"

Taro sighed. His voice became sad and his head fell. "We have a problem. We would need a leader – someone everyone would listen too. We can't agree on one. And . . . and there is no more time. You see, this is only one of two places where the slaves work. The other place though, it is where they keep the troublemakers; the slaves who try to escape. After a week at the other place they use you as a live sacrifice. My sister is one of the troublemakers, and today will make the seventh day since she was taken to the other digging chamber. So . . . so we need a leader today or . . ." Taro began to break off, his eyes beginning to swell with tears and his nose running. He was sniffing between his words, as well.

"I am sorry." Starfire responded, wishing she could do more than whisper the words. "If I could find you a leader I would."

"No!" Taro shook his head and quickly wiped his face on his sleeve. "You misunderstand me Your Grace. What I am trying to ask is . . . would _you_ be our leader?"

Starfire nearly dropped her shovel. "Me?"

"You _are_ our Princess. If you volunteered to lead us, not a single soul would turn you down." Taro responded proudly.

"I, I have no experience. I would not –""

Beast Boy cut her off. "That isn't true Star. You've pulled some impressive stuff off before. You totally brought down Slade's spaceship single-handed way back when we first got here. And remember the time you saved Silky? And I'm sure you've learned a few things from spending so much time with Robin."

Starfire still looked unsure, but Taro turned around and looked at her. It was the first time they saw him face to face. He was younger than she'd originally though – not only was he a child, but he couldn't have been any more than ten or eleven years old. Despite his age, his face had been hardened by the world and his eyes were swirling with a sadness she had never seen before. "Please your highness, for my sister?"

To Starfire it was a simple choice. She could never say no; not in situations like this. Starfire hadn't said no when Beast Boy asked her to hide a mutant moth larva in her room – and that had been a mutant moth larva; if she could not turn it down, how could she possibly say no to a child who wanted to rescue his beloved sister?

"I would be honored to lead your rebellion." Starfire replied, and she meant every word.

* * *

"What do we do?"

That was the question being asked in the Royal's room. Myand'r, Luand'r, Batman and Galfore were the only ones admitted inside the throne room now as they pondered an answer. They were behind on the news; but not quite as behind as usual. Together, by exchanging information and following a few leads they had managed to learn that Robin, Raven and Cyborg were out looking for Beast Boy and Starfire. It had not been a good conversation.

Myand'r was furious. His daughter was missing and no one seemed to know where she was or who had taken her. Slade and Trigon were, of course, the prime suspects. If the King had had his way search parties would be out in full searching for all five of the Titans – but Bruce had stomped out that idea.

"We have no evidence that any of them are in immediate danger; and they've proven they're strong." Wayne had explained. "I want to help them too; but if we rush into things we could only complicate matters – and leave this castle defenseless. You still have a duty to your people, your highness."

Myand'r had not liked this explanation; but he couldn't ignore the sage-like wisdom in Bruce Wayne's words.

"We know Robin, Raven and Cyborg only left to find Beast Boy and Starfire." Galfore rationalized. "And we know Beast Boy and Starfire did not leave by choice. If we find Slade and Trigon, we should be able to find them all."

"The guards were all murdered horribly." The Queen recalled. "However, there was something strange about their deaths. The expressions on their faces looked so painful; but there was no actual damage to their bodies. In the past it was different."

Suddenly Galfore's eyes widened in an indescribable emotion; It wasn't horror – it was beyond horror. It was almost as if he'd just realized something so shocking and so appalling he himself could scarily believe it; which was exactly what had happened. "Are you certain that is how they died, my queen?" He asked.

"Yes, quite sure. I saw the bodies myself." Luand'r replied, a grim curiosity in her voice. "Galfore, what does it mean?" She could read his face and she did not like what she saw.

"When you were gone, there was a series of murders committed in the same fashion." Galfore explained, the aghast tone still in his voice. "I lead and investigation and we learned of a Cult that worshiped an old demon idol called K'monte. A Cult known as the 'Cult of Everlasting Pain'. Many of the cultists were Royal Healers – I saw to it that they were arrested and executed; but the circumstances are so similar. The Titans were under the care of Royal Healers; it seems like too much of a coincidence."

"You think this cult could have Starfire and Beast Boy?" Batman asked, already caught on.

"Yes. I cannot say why. Perhaps because the Princess is who she is, or perhaps they are working with Slade and Trigon; but the evidence is too much for me to ignore."

"Then we must find this cult!" Myand'r roared at once.

"We can search the temple they used to use." Galfore suggested.

"Wait." Batman cut them both off. "Robin, Raven and Cyborg. They don't know anything about this cult. _They'll_ be looking for Slade and Trigon."

"It is all one large, well-planned trap." Galfore realized quietly with a voice filled with both angst and anger.

"Yeah, looks like it; but I have a plan."

* * *

**A/N**: There you are, Chapter Seventeen. I know, it wasn't very exciting; but the action **_really_** picks up in Eighteen. Eighteen should be online by or before April 08, 2005.

Until then, reviews would be nice, thank you all very much for reading, and I'll see you soon.

**-Golden-sama (Brando)**


	18. Ravager, Rebels and Reunions

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Eighteen**

"Ravager, Rebels and Reunions"

**A/N**: Here you go; chapter eighteen. It's a little early too. It would have been even earlier, but I forgot to save and had to re-write the ending. XD Enjoy the chapter.

**Ryoko-onee**: I'm glad I was able to leave you in suspense; as for your question, well the Rebellion's going down in this chapter so you'll have to see for yourself.

**scathac's warrior: **Aren't they though? Demon-worshiping, vampire-named bad guys always tend to be, psychotic. Anyway; glad you enjoyed it – and I hope you made it to class on time.

**Dramaelfie:** Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about Beast Boy's dream. Heh; I'm glad you liked it.

**xBxMYxJaMeSxDeANxcandyclouds: **You didn't sound mean! At least not to me. And I'm sorry I didn't respond to your last review; I didn't get the review alert email until after I'd already updated the chapter. As for giving you a treat and updating soon than expected; well, sure. Hmm, not a Robin/Raven fan eh? –snickers- I like making Robin and Raven do things together; they work well as a team. I don't know about romantically though. I much prefer Robin/Star and Beast Boy/Raven. Banned from the computer? Ah! That's horrible. Well send her my best wishes, won't you?

**DarkSin**:Wow, thank you. It's been a pleasure to write this story for you; and for everyone else who has been reading.

**Pickles12:** Ah, that's good then. I know people don't like waiting too long.

**IllegalDayNightSnappingIguana: **Yes, you do write long reviews. But that's okay, it gives me more to read; and they usually are amusing. And always I'm very happy to hear you thought the chapter was good; and I wish you luck on your English project. You haven't seen The Terminator? Ooh, I like that movie. Well, I like the first two of them; I have never seen the third one.

Anyway, onto the chapter!

**

* * *

**

"This is the place."

Raven was leading them now. She was still unable to sense Beast Boy or Starfire; and Trigon's superior soul-self protected himself and Slade; and Raven could not locate them either. She could locate Grant Wilson. While she didn't know who Grant Wilson was; she did know he was connected to Slade and Trigon and he'd been there when Beast Boy and Starfire had been kidnapped – which was enough for the Titans.

Now Raven was floating over a small patch of desert; an old cavern in front of her. It seemed Tamaran was filled with old caves and mountains and someone had converted this one into a makeshift headquarters for some devious deeds. Robin and Cyborg stood at either side of her, peering into the darkness of the caves with their eyes narrowed and their faces heavy. They were all expecting a trap; and with good reason. So far, everything had been one trap after another – it was getting a bit redundant.

Cyborg activated the small light built into his arm, and Robin withdrew a flashlight from his belt. The three teens stepped into the caves; eyes open for any sign of their friends or foes. They found neither. The caves seemed to be empty. There was no sign of any life living in them; human, Tamaranian or otherwise.

"Dead end?" Cyborg suggested.

"Dead right." Grant Wilson replied.

Shots rang out. The Titans couldn't see Grant in the darkness; but they'd began moving the moment he spoke. There was a flash of light in the midst of the shadow; it was the muzzle flash from Grant's gun as he fired. Raven took the lead. Muttering her magic words, she levitated several of the nearby rocks and hurled them in the direction of the gun – and it's owner. Robin and Cyborg followed up immediately with a combination of one of Robin's explosive discs and a shot from Cyborg's arm-cannon. The explosion illuminated the caves; but there was no sign of Grant.

Flames now licked the sky with their yellow-and-orange tongues and the sight problem was eliminated. The Titans backed up around the fires; Raven facing south, Robin facing north and Cyborg standing between them looking west; the caves wall and the burning flames to the east. There was no sign of the Ravager anywhere.

"Does anyone have a location?" Robin whispered.

"I can sense him nearby; that's all." Raven replied.

"My scanners say he's here too; but I can't pinpoint him." Cyborg confirmed.

There was a moment of silence. None of the titans moved, and there was no sign of the Ravager. A full minute passed without incident. Then the hush was broken by the sounds of Grant's battle-cry; he leapt up through the very flames that illuminated the cavern and landed in the middle of the titan's semi-circle; drawing his sword and preparing to strike. Robin flattened himself against the wall, Raven vanished into the floor and reappeared a few feet away; but Cyborg could not avoid it. Grant slashed with the broadsword and Cyborg had to block it with his cybernetic arm.

There was a great clang and several sparks flew as the sword cut into Cyborg's hardware. Cyborg headed backwards as quickly as he could and Grant pressed forward with a second strike – this time Raven used her mental powers to catch the sword and stop it. Grant growled in frustration and released his grip on the sword, leaving it suspended in mid air.

Robin struck with his bo-staff, but Grant blocked it. Grant's frustration reached a boiling point and he jumped backwards and then to the side. He once again took hold on his sword and tried to swing it; but Raven held on with her mind. Grant couldn't accept this face and he pulled with all of his strength, desperate to regain control of his blade. Grant re-drew his military pistol and opened fire; first a shot at Robin to make him back up, and then the remaining bullets all went towards Raven.

Things happened so fast it was hard to tell what happened first. Raven used her mental powers to stop the bullets in mid-air and save her life; but when she did she had to release the grip on the sword. Grant had still been pulling the sword with his free hand, and once Raven's powers released it the sword was tugged forward and Grant lost his balance.

Grant wound up on his back; the sword wound up in his chest.

Robin went down on his knees next to Grant's head and grabbed him by the front of his suit. "Where are Starfire and Beast Boy?" Robin's voice was cold, callous and angry.

"Who cares." Grant responded weakly, before he began laughing. Robin cursed and let go of him. Things could not have gone worse. They'd lost their only lead to finding Starfire and Beast Boy. Grant's laughter began to die, and so did he. His life was fading fast.

"Raven, can you—"

"No. The wound's fatal. I could ease his suffering, but I can't save him." She responded before he could even finish the question.

Robin lowered his head and squeezed his fist. Grant died a moment later without making another sound, and Raven and Cyborg stood not speaking to one another.

Finally, Cyborg broke the silence. "Now what?"

"We know this is Slade's hideout. We wait here for him to come back." Robin replied. He stood up and turned away from the body. This would affect him. Robin had always been the "by-any-means-necessary" type of hero. Something he'd learned from the Dark Knight. Still, he was against killing – even killing someone like Grant Wilson. Grant _was_ Slade's son, and he was a well-known hit man and murderer on his own; but that didn't change the fact Robin felt remorse for him. The Titans hadn't killed him; Grant had done it himself when he attacked Raven.

That didn't change the fact that a man was now dead, and Robin was partially to blame. He had never killed someone intentionally before – although he had tried – and Grant wasn't the first person to die because of Robin. It never changed. No matter the reason, or the cause, or the person. Death was still death.

Then there were footsteps. The Titans were back on guard in an instant; but Batman appeared at the entrance of the cavern and they lowered their defenses. "We found Starfire and Beast Boy." He announced. His eyes behind the cape and cowl swept over the room, observing the flames, the body and the Titans; but he ignored all of it.

"Are they okay?" Raven asked, genuine concern breaking into her normally calm voice.

"We don't know. They were kidnapped by a Cult that worships a demon called K'monte. Apparently the Healer in charge of your room was the Cult's leader, Vladim'r. We believe Vladim'r took them to his temple in the desert. What we don't know is why. Galfore's dealt with this cult before, apparently the people taken are given two choices; dig for religious artifacts or be burnt alive as a sacrifice for K'monte." Batman explained.

"It just _had_ to be a cult." Raven sighed. She knew cults. Her mother had been in a cult, and countless crazy people on numerous planets made cults that worshiped her father. This would not be fun.

"I know it's not good news; but it's better than it could have been. Starfire and Beast Boy are strong enough to survive, but they will need our help to escape. We'll discuss the rescue plans on route." Bruce said.

"Let's move."

* * *

Starfire and Beast Boy had not moved. They were still in their secluded digging pit, and still digging. The idea of a rebellion was fresh in their minds and both of them were anxiously awaiting Taro's return. Taro had moved away from this digging pit as soon as Starfire agreed to lead them. Slowly, with the kind of stealth one could have expected from Robin, the youngster had made his way from pit to pit, spreading the good news and preparing everyone.

The plan had already been made before Taro had left. It was straightforward and simple enough that anyone could follow it. Once everyone had been informed of the rebellion, and Taro returned to Starfire and gave her the signal; she would lead the assault. She would boldly defy their captors and draw the attention of everyone – guards, cultists and Vladim'r himself. Then the other slaves would attack. Everyone who could fight would fight. They had superior numbers and could swarm the slaves. During the commotion, Beast Boy and Taro would sneak out and free the other slaves – the ones that were to be used as sacrifices – and then rejoin the battle.

It was a good plan; but it was also a huge risk. The slaves were slaves; not soldiers. They were all people who would never be missed by the main Tamaranian society – that was how their disappearances had stayed so mysterious. The sick, the poor, the old, the young, criminals and the homeless; that was who they were before becoming slaves. They had the natural fighting spirit of Tamaranians, and they could all fight – but could they defeat well-trained guards and ex-military men? Not to mention, the healers were _healers_. They could heal their wounds with medicines and magicks; and that was not encouraging.

The risk was big; but the reward was even bigger. Freedom. Freedom from digging, freedom from the torture, freedom from hearing the screams of the sacrifices on a weekly basis. Many of the slaves did not have families or friends to return too – but they still had the dream of freedom; and they would fight, and die, to keep that dream alive.

Taro returned. His face was still covered in dirt, dried blood and fresh tears; but his eyes were different. Just as his eyes had lit up upon recognizing Starfire's heritage, they were burning again. Hope was burning in those lonely eyes and it was filling him with a newfound determination. "Milady, I've told everyone. Not a single soul could refuse! We are all standing by for your lead, and you have got our gratitude no matter the outcome."

"Good." Starfire responded, excitement clear in her voice. "Then we should do this now; while everyone is still ready."

"Taro, over here." Beast Boy waved the boy over to his side; Taro quickly floated over as soon as he was sure the guards were not looking. "Listen kid, looks like you and me will be the ones saving the other slaves, so let's start heading towards the exit."

"Excellent idea sir!" Taro replied. Beast Boy looked both amused and embarrassed by being addressed that way; although he did not mention it again. "Lead the way, I'll follow you in a minute."

Taro did as he was told and began sneaking off in the direction of the exit to the digging chambers. He would have to cross the hallways to reach the alternate digging site where the slaves for sacrifice were kept; and he'd never been there before. Taking a deep breath, the youngster shot a glance over his shoulder. Beast Boy had vanished; but a large green mouse was now following him.

Starfire watched them leave for a moment, and then she lowered her head. Someone looking at her might have thought she was praying – which wasn't far off. She wasn't really praying, merely thinking. She was honored to be the leader of this rebellion, and she had faith that she could be a good leader. Still, she couldn't help but wonder what Robin would say about all of this. Her mind kept returning to him. Would he agree that she made a good leader? Would he have approved of her plans? Why did one thing after another continue to separate her from him? It didn't matter now. She was going to fight, she was going to lead her people in this rebellion and she was going to win. She had too.

It was time.

The "what ifs", "maybes" and "on second thoughts" that could have changed the plan never came. The doubts were quelled by determination. There was no turning back. It was now, or never; and there would be no second chances. Starfire had to start a rebellion; and she knew the perfect person to target.

Starfire floated up straight, her eyes glowing green and her fists emitting a similar glow. She did not make a sound as she rose into the air until she was on an equal level as the raised platform that Vladim'r stood on. No one seemed to notice her for a moment; and when they did the slaves only watch in curiosity while the guards began to spread the alarm.

Starfire did not say a word; she didn't have time for a speech and she wouldn't have known what to say even if she had. Instead, she screamed out a loud battle cry and hurled her starbolts directly at Vladim'r. He was the leader of the cultists; he was the source of all the pain. Who better to start with?

If her attack had struck him, Vladim'r would have been defeated. He would have survived; but he also would have been out for the count and the rebellion may have gone very differently. However, one of the guards had seen Starfire and had hurried to the platform to warn Vladim'r. The large guard, who had been a Tamaranian solider once, flew directly into Starfire's massive attack by accident. He screamed and hit the ground unconscious; and that got everybody's attention. Vladim'r had been chatting with some of his fellow healers; but now he was staring in every direction like a deer in the headlights. The healers were scrambling, making sure they were not all in the same place – chain of command, after all – while the guards were all in the air heading towards Starfire.

Several things happened all at once. The slaves attacked; every last one of them. The old, the young, the sick and the healthy; they all rose up and joined the battle. They hurled starbolts and threw punches; they picked up heavy stones and used them as weapons and they kicked any of the cultists or guards who were within reach. Starfire could not stop to watch the progress; but things sounded good. She had just dispatched two guards herself; and the enemy was outnumbered.

The problem was they were out armed. Even a newborn could fly on Tamaran; and nearly everyone had the power to hurl starbolts; but not everyone could do what the healers could. The powers they used to heal were rare and uncommon; and quite useful in combat. Not only that, but all of the guards had whips and the healers carried knives. The battle was progressing; but not like Starfire had hoped.

That is when Starfire saw something strange. Vladim'r was no longer hiding in the safety of the raised platform. Instead, he was in one of the abandoned digging pits. He sat on his knees, dirt covering his beloved robes, and he was digging with a feverish glee. Starfire was worried. Vladim'r had gone to great lengths to make sure he never had to get down in the dirt; but now, as everything fell apart around him, he looked happy to be doing it.

It was like someone had poured a bucket of ice down her throat; and now that ice was settling into the pit of her stomach. Starfire was an intelligent girl and she could think of only one thing that would bring this reaction from Vladim'r.

Could he have found it? K'monte's Artifact? The source of all this pain and frustration? More important; what was it? Starfire knew nothing of this cult or of this "K'monte" they worshiped. Hopefully it was just another myth; but she had been through too much to stay that hopeful for very long.

"Starfire, we did it!"

Starfire's worry was suddenly torn from her mind; Beast Boy was speaking to her. She quickly returned to reality and turned her head to find Beast Boy at her side. His ears were perky and his face was split in a enormous white smile. It was only then that Starfire realized what else was going on around her. The number of slaves fighting had nearly doubled; in the distance, she could see Taro and a young girl who Starfire guessed was his sister, Hana. Taro and Hana were still fighting bravely and they were winning too; they had just knocked a cultist healer unconscious and moved on to find some of his buddies. The slaves were winning, hands down.

Starfire's face had become as bright as a tree on Christmas morning; but it faded again. She looked back to Vladim'r and that is when the icy feeling returned. Vladim'r was no longer digging; now he was lifting something out of a hole. Starfire watched for a moment, and then recognized it as some kind of urn. It was covered in runes and markings that she could not place.

"Beast Boy, come with me!" She did not wait for his response; instead, she grabbed his wrist and flew towards the digging pit. She had to do something. She did not know what Vladim'r's discovery meant, but she did know it was not good. He had caused too much evil in the name of that urn for her to let him get it now.

Vladim'r was staring at the urn in his hands with a feverish grin. This was it. The runes on the site told the entire sick story of K'monte the demon. He had found it; the artifact. With this, he could summon K'monte; and add the demonic powers to his own. That would make him powerful; more powerful than anyone else on the planet – at least in his mind.

"Drop it."

Vladim'r turned around, he still clutched the urn tightly in his hands, and he found Starfire and Beast Boy standing ready behind him. Vladim'r narrowed his eyes and twisted his lips into a smile. "You've chosen a perfect time to come, Princess Koriand'r. I'm ready to summon the great K'monte; and I can offer him your rebellion for a snack." With that, Vladim'r thrust his hands up in the air and held the urn up in a proud display. Obviously, he expected his enemies to tremble in fear before it; though neither of them did.

In truth, Beast Boy was trying not to laugh. Vladim'r really did look ridiculous, and his overly melodramatic manner did not help his case. However, despite the ludicrous appearance; the ground did suddenly turn black and something began to rise out of the earth. Vladim'r's victory laugh escaped his throat – but not for long.

"You are not K'monte!" Vladim'r roared. The ground _had_ turned black, and someone _had_ used demonic powers to float up out of the floor – but that someone was Raven.

"Gee, you're observant aren't you?" Raven replied. A second later, she raised her hands, muttered her mantra, and blasted Vladim'r with a devastating telepathic blast. Vladim'r was hurled backwards into the wall of the digging pit; the impact was too much for him and he fell to the ground unconscious. His role in things had ended. Raven turned around to Starfire and Beast Boy; both of whom looked shocked but pleased.

"Raven, how did you –" There was an explosion at this point, a very loud one. Starfire and Beast Boy both began to look around for the cause of it, but Raven was quicker with an explanation.

"It's Robin and Cyborg. Galfore and Batman are here too. Nice touch starting a rebellion, by the way." Raven commented. The other two titans had returned their glances to her and each smiled. "We'll talk after we finish this, okay?"

They rejoined the battle; which was quickly becoming one sided. The guards were followers, not leaders, and without Vladim'r, the cultists were lost and clumsy. The slaves still fought with every ounce of strength they had; and now Robin, Cyborg, Batman and Galfore had joined in and added their expert touch to the scene. Once Raven and the others rejoined them as well, the result was quick. The rebellion ended, and it was successful.

Most of the cult was now either dead, unconscious, in custody or had fled completely. The military arrived soon afterwards, sent by the King and Queen, and they began the tedious task of rounding up the defeated Cult and the even tougher task of identifying the slaves and preparing them for their freedom.

With the combat over, and the freedom and safety of the former slaves now guaranteed; the Titans reunited. Not the entire team, they had been separated during the confusion of the battle, but different members ran into one another.

* * *

"Nice work with the rebellion, Star."

Robin and Starfire were sitting on a small hill outside the cavern. The Tamaranian Military had arrived in TMV's (Tamaranian Military Vehicles) which looked like square tanks that floated just above the ground on hover jets. There was no large cannon in the front; instead, there were several mortars on each side and a compartment on top large enough to carry many soldiers and civilians as well. The TMV's were now being loaded up with the former slaves, who would be taken back to their homes by the army. Robin and Starfire had a view of all of this; but they were focused more on each other.

"Thank you Robin." Starfire smiled at him. She was tired; but happy. It had seemed like a horrible dream when she was taken from the infirmary back at the castle. She had believed it would turn into the next evil twist of fate; and instead so much good had come out of it. The casualties were high; but the reward was greater. If she had not been kidnapped, these slaves would not be free.

"Star, I've been thinking." Robin said suddenly, and Starfire felt that cold feeling in her stomach return. She was worried about what he would say next. She had known something was on his mind since they had reunited; she could tell from the way he avoided her eyes.

"What have you been thinking about?" Starfire asked quietly. Her eyes were glued to his face; but he wasn't looking at her at all.

"The Trials." Robin responded. "Before the kidnapping we picked out our keepsake, and since we're doing it the old fashion way there's nothing more to set up. Star, I think it's time we undergo the Trials."

Starfire blinked. She had not expected that. It was true; everything had started with the Trials. Shady had arrived on Earth with news of them; and since that fateful night, one thing had happened after another. The only constant, unchanging factor had been the Trials.

"You do?" Starfire was both shocked and excited. She had lost count of the days, but she knew it had been a long, long time since all of this started with Shady and his mentioning the Trials. So much had happened she had started to believe the time would never come.

"Yeah. Slade and Trigon are still out there, I haven't forgotten about them. I know they won't stop until they're dead; but we can't let them control our lives. We can to Tamaran for the Trials; and I think it's time we do them."

What happened next was typical. Starfire squealed, as she had been prone to do through the entire trip, and hugged Robin much tighter than he would have liked. He did not complain, though. A few hours ago, he had been unsure if he would ever see her again. He was not sure if he would ever get to feel her arms wrap around him again, and so he was as happy as he could be to have that feeling back; even if she did squeeze too tightly.

Robin just sat there and smiled. They still had a long way to go before the ending came. Trigon and Slade would not give up, and the Trials were not meant to be fun or easy – but for now, Robin was happy and he was going to enjoy it.

"Aww, ain't they cute?"

Robin's eyes suddenly narrowed behind the mask. Starfire released her grip on him and they both turned around to see Cyborg, Raven and Beast Boy standing not very far away.

"Don't you have anything better to do than spy on us?" Robin asked, irritation dripping from his voice.

"Not really." Cyborg replied.

"Spying on you is fun." Beast Boy responded.

"If you want privacy you shouldn't be outside." Raven pointed out.

The five friends laughed. They had been laughing more and more as time went on. At first, after one of the many traps, they would become grave and serious. Their attention would be focused on their next move and trying to anticipate their enemy's next play. Now they were more relaxed. They had been through hell several times since things began; and they always wound up just fine. It was better to laugh than to worry.

The real game was only just beginning. Robin was right – it was time for the Trials. The Trials were ready; Robin and Starfire simply had to reach the Cavern of Trials, drop the keepsake inside the cracked top, and then go get it.

Of course, the keepsake had been enchanted by Trigon long ago; and when Robin and Starfire did retrieve it from the Cavern; they would fall into Slade's most dangerous trap to date.

* * *

**A/N**: Chapter Nineteen, "The Trials of Tamaran (Pt. I)" is coming soon! I'm actually going to start working on it today; but it might not be finished until Monday since I'm going to have very limited computer time over the weekend. Anyway, it'll be here soon, and I promise it'll be worth any waiting you have to do.

As always, thank you to everyone who has read this story, extra thanks to those who have reviewed, and I'll be back with more AAAFY soon.


	19. The Trials of Tamaran Part I

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Nineteen**

"The Trials of Tamaran (Pt. I)"

**

* * *

**

The TMV was floating over the desert surface; and the Teen Titans had reunited inside. This TMV was reserved just for them; it did not have the task of transporting former slaves back to the campsite Galfore had set up for them. Taro and Hana had said their goodbyes, thanked Starfire and Beast Boy many times, and then bid the Titans farewell when they had left. Starfire had assured them both that she would come and see them again sometime; and the youths had departed looking in high spirits.

Now the team sat in the inside of the TMV. It was roomy, for a tank. There were benches that the team took to sitting on. Raven and Beast Boy occupied the bench on the left; while Starfire and Robin had taken the one of the right. Cyborg had elected to rid up front with the drivers – partially to allow the couples their privacy, and in part because he was hoping to get a chance behind the wheel.

None of them spoke. None of them had too. Robin was leaning against Starfire, a small, expecting grin plastered on his face. In his gloved hand, he held the odd coral reef like ball they had selected as their keepsake what seemed like ages ago. Robin still remembered picking the odd alien ball out to remind him of the day he had first met his odd little alien; Starfire. He still had no clue what the reef-like ball really was, or how it had gotten to Earth in the first place.

Starfire had her head leaned against Robin; and together the two of them formed a small slump as they used one another for support. Neither was worn-out from the recent events; but they both thought it wise to rest up before the Trials. After all, the Trials were supposed to be a grueling test of physical, mental and emotional commitment. It would take endurance and strength; as well, as love, to overcome them.

"Hey you two." Beast Boy broke the silence. Robin and Starfire looked across the room as the silence died; Raven turned her head to the side as well. "Good luck."

"Thanks." Robin responded; and he meant it. Everything that had happened since Shady had shown up in the middle of the night had been leading Starfire and him towards the Trials; and now they had arrived. He did not know quite what to expect; but he knew it they could use some luck.

"And don't take too long." Raven added; but her tone was playful. Robin and Starfire grinned at her in return and Beast Boy opened his mouth to speak; but he never got a chance to say what was on his mind.

At that moment, the door that separated them from the pilot's room swung open; and Cyborg looked out at his friends. A second later, the TMV began to slow down, and then finally stop. Cyborg looked at the four who had been sitting so quietly for so long.

"We're here." He informed them.

The "Traditional" Trials of Tamaran involve building a gigantic stadium and then submitting those undergoing them to a series of personalized tests designed by their friends and family. The tests are made to see if the couple is as devoted to one another as they say. If they are in love, as they claim to be, then they must work together to overcome the various physical, mental and emotional challenges.

Of course, Robin and Starfire were not undergoing the "Traditional" Trials. They had long ago decided to go through the "Trials of Old", which were very different. Instead of a gigantic stadium, the older, more arcane trials take place in a cavern; and the subterranean catacombs beneath it. The cavern is located in "Ochu Nador", a patch of desert more commonly known as "Ochu's Dancing Ground".

In this brand of Trials, the lovers would select a keepsake. Something small that held a deep personal value to one or both of them – in this case, the odd coral-ball Robin had found. That keepsake would then be dropped inside a small crack in the roof of the cavern; the crack would lead it down through the caves and into the catacombs. Next, the couple must simply enter the cavern through the front entrance and seek out their keepsake. If they could find and retrieve it, they would be successful. If they never found it – or died while looking, they would fail.

Robin and Starfire were aware of the dangers. These caves and the catacombs beneath them were home to some of the most dangerous creatures on Tamaran. Everything from wild-eyed gregnoffs to sharp-fanged Snorkacks could be lurking in the deep, dark catacombs. Still, the danger did not faze them. They were heroes; danger was their job. They'd been stuck on an alien spaceship with matter-reduction bombs in the engine room, they'd been attacked by a strange near-invincible assassins, they'd been lured into just about every kind of trap known to man-kind, they'd been kidnapped by a crazy pack of cultists; and all the while they'd had to deal with Slade Wilson and Trigon the Terrible. Whatever was inside that cave was nothing compared to what they had already been through; right?

"We're here." Robin echoed Cyborg, looking at Starfire. She had gotten the same look of excitement in her eyes that she had whenever there was good news. It was a little frightening, since Robin usually wound up getting a backbreaking hug after he saw that look; but not now. For now, Starfire sat quietly, though she was quite obviously excited.

The five teens exited the Tamaranian Military Vehicle and headed to their right. The entire area, as far as they could see, was an endless desert. The wind was blowing and the sand flew along with it in a small dust storm. Robin and Raven's capes fluttered behind them. The only thing they could see aside from empty wastelands was a single cavern sticking out of the ground; the Cavern of the Trials. It was much more menacing than any of them had expected. The cavern looked daunting as the sand blew by its front; and there seemed to be a feeling of foreboding in the air.

"Be careful in there." Cyborg said, clapping Robin on the shoulder as he stared at the ominous sight.

"We will be." Robin replied. "Starfire, are you ready?" He then asked, turning to the redhead beside him and taking one last look at her. This was it. They were going to undergo the Trials. It was . . . strange. The entire point of the Trials was to confirm or deny true love; though Robin knew, he loved her. It seemed like the whole issue was pointless, but at the same time it seemed more important than anything else he had ever done.

"I am, Robin." Starfire replied softly. She was happy; he could tell.

Robin stepped forward and walked until he reached the edge of the cavern. Then he began to climb up the rock wall. Starfire floated up next to him, and while she flew the entire way, she stayed right at his side instead of going straight to the top. It did not take long, soon the two teens were on top of the cavern and they had located the infamous cracks. Robin reached into his utility belt and withdrew the keepsake.

"Go ahead Star." He handed it to her, and Starfire paused for a moment.

This was it. She had heard of the Trials as a youth, before she ever went to Earth or met Robin. She had been dreaming of the day when she, accompanied by her true love, would undergo the ancient rituals. That day had come. That moment had come. Her true love had come. It seemed too perfect to be real. She was not thinking of all the hell she had been through to reach this point; she was thinking only of the sweet bliss that was sure to come when things ended.

Starfire dropped the keepsake into the cracks. They heard it fall and eventually the soft sound of a plop drifted up to their ears. It was time.

"That's our cue." Robin grinned.

"Then let us get to it!"

Robin leapt off the cavern roof and landed on the ground beneath the entrance. Starfire was at his side in a second; and after that, the two youths vanished into the daunting blackness of the cavern entrance. Raven, Beast Boy and Cyborg could only watch in silence as their friends ventured on into something that would either changer their lives; or end them.

The Titans had been so preoccupied looking at the ominous caverns that they failed to notice something. The desert was not quite as empty as it appeared. Aside from the cavern, there was one other obstruction to the emptiness; Trigon the Terrible. He stood as the sand blew against his body and the winds ruffled his hair, watching the Titans disappear into the darkness. Once they did, once he knew they were going after the keepsake; Trigon clapped his massive hands together.

The enchantment he had placed on the keepsake back in the infirmary took effect. The trap was now set. If the dark things that lurked inside the catacombs did not kill Robin and Starfire; Slade most certainly would. Trigon's malicious face twisted into a smug smile as he thought of what was coming next. Two little titans had just signed their death warrant; and the remaining three would follow them in their one-way trip to the grave soon enough.

Well, the remaining three would not be the only ones. Slade, the Royals; and everyone else on the planet Tamaran would all be following them into the clammy clutches of death.

**

* * *

**

Starfire and Robin had gotten about three feet into the cave when they reached their first _real_ problem. There were no visible pathways inside, and there was no light. Starfire had solved the problem of light by illuminating the world around her with her green-glowing fist. Robin had retrieved a flashlight from his belt. That had been a simple problem; this new one was complicated. They traveled few feet deeper into the cave and they reached a fork in the road. They could go to the right, where there seemed to be no sign of life or light, or to the left where it appeared to be just as dark and despondent.

"Well, which way looks better to you?" Robin asked.

"I do not think I can tell a difference." Starfire replied.

"Yeah, me neither. Want to go to the right then?" Had they been on Earth, searching for a villain, he would have suggested they split up and search both pathways; but not now. Now they had to stay together and work together; that was the entire point. Robin would not leave her side and he would not allow her to leave his.

"Yes." Starfire responded excitedly. Robin smiled to himself and the two set off down the path to the right. They only got a few feet before they ran into trouble. They had made their first mistake; and it was only by chance they survived it. Starfire had been holding her fist up above her head to illuminate the area around herself and Robin; while Robin had used been using his flashlight to shine on the ground in front of them. The flashlight beam stopped on a small pile of what appeared to be rocks and very old bones.

"Hold it." Robin held out his hand to stop Starfire from advancing; she noticed the pile of rocks and bones and let out a small squeak. Robin's eyebrow raised a tad. "What is it?"

"A nest." Starfire responded. "Robin that is a necrofly nest!"

Robin was spared from asking what a necro-fly was; although that isn't a good thing. Something began to crawl out of the empty-eye socket of one of the skulls used to build the next. That something looked like a large black butterfly with silver-trimmed wings. The necrofly was at least three times bigger than any Earth butterfly; and it had sharp, short claws on the end of each of its legs and a mouth full of teeth that resembled a thousand tiny knives.

The necrofly crawled to the top of the nest and then unfolded its wings; displaying silver patters against the black. The patters were almost skull-like in shape, and it added to the horrific look of the flying omen. Starfire was shaking behind him; and Robin realized quickly he would have to deal with this devil by himself.

In a split second the necrofly hissed and jetted off into the air; flying directly at Robin. Robin was quicker and he threw a bird-a-rang first. The necrofly collided with the bird-a-rang and wound up severed neatly in two. Robin blinked behind his mask. The monstrous looking Tamaran butterfly-beast had been killed just as easily as, well, a butterfly.

"That was . . . simple." Robin acknowledged; but Starfire seemed distressed. Robin felt her take a huge step backwards from him and when he turned to see what was wrong he noticed the appalled look on her face. "What is it Starfire?"

"R-Robin. That was a necrofly. A-according to Tamaranian legend; they are an omen of death."

Robin hesitated. "What do you mean?"

Starfire continued slowly, her voice shaking and her eyes wide with fright. "They are a death omen Robin. If you see a necrofly and it leaves you alone; it means there is no death in your future. However, if it attacks you and you kill it, it means that you will be exposed to death in the near future."

Robin did not believe in signs and omens; not most of the time anyway. "Starfire, if I hadn't have killed it, it would have killed the both of us."

Starfire nodded. "Yes, I know Robin; but still . . . someone will die because of you now." She spoke the words quietly and full of remorse. Robin was not sure quite what she meant by 'someone', whether she was implying herself or not, but he was sure that she genuinely believed what she was saying.

She was right; it would not be long before someone died because of Robin.

**

* * *

**

"How do you think they're doing?" Beast Boy asked.

The remaining Titans were back inside the TMV. The sandstorm had picked up a bit and none of them felt like waiting outside. Cyborg would have been fated to pick sand from his body for ages if he had stayed in he storm; and Raven and Beast Boy agreed they did not need all those loose pebbles in their hair. Now the three friends sat on the benches once again. Beast Boy was trying his luck with a Tamaranian MRE (Meal-Ready-To-Eat), but once he had peeled off the tin foil he'd found that the food was anything but his definition of a meal. Raven sat beside him silently looking out the window at the cavern; while Cyborg sat across from them eyeing the door that separated them from the pilot's room. The two Tamaranian's who were driving the tank had stepped out to relieve themselves and Cyborg couldn't help but feel temped to go play around while they were gone.

"They're fine." Raven responded to Beast Boy. "Robin and Starfire can take care of themselves."

Beast Boy seemed fidgety. "I don't know Rae. I have a feeling like something big is going to happen."

"Why do you say that?" Cyborg asked. "Not everything is a trap, you know."

"Yeah but, think about it. This whole thing, everything that's happened to us; it all started with Shady talking about the Trials. Now we're here, at the Trials. It's like . . . this is it. This is what everything was building up too. It feels almost like . . . the end."

Raven laughed. The boys turned to her. "Why? This might have started simply enough, with the Trials, but it's become much more complicated. This isn't just about the Trials, or about Robin and Starfire; not anymore. Whatever happens in that cave, I don't think we'll see an 'ending' anytime soon."

"I'm cool with that." Beast Boy responded. "This hasn't been too bad. You know, aside from all the traps, and people trying to kill us."

**

* * *

**

The King had not been kidding; these Trials were dangerous.

After the necrofly incident, Robin and Starfire had continued down the right passageway until they reached a second fork in the road. This time they decided to flip a coin; and wound up heading left. Once again danger had been present; this time in the form of a one-eyed Jokrow (a strange green beast with two heads and many sharp teeth). Starfire had managed to defeat the Jokrow without injury with a series of starbolts; and Robin had smacked it with his bo-staff just to be safe.

Then they had pressed on even deeper. It seemed it would be the same thing; for a while. They would reach a dead end, be attacked by some bizarre creature, and continue on their quest. Occasionally they would backtrack, or disagree on which way they should proceed; but it stayed pretty simple and routine.

Until they reached the Catacombs.

At last, they had found the entrance to the underground Catacombs. Starfire squealed in joy when she realized what it was and Robin's face split into a delighted grin. The keepsake was somewhere down there; they were getting closer and closer to their goal. Unbeknownst to them, they were also getting closer and closer to danger; _real danger_.

"Robin we are doing it!" Starfire laughed. "We are almost there!"

"Yeah, it's exciting." Robin responded. "But let's hold off on the celebration till we actually find the keepsake."

"I do not think I can!" Starfire replied; she was now flying around him in circles with a huge grin on her face and sparkles in her eyes. Robin was trying hard not to laugh at the sight of her. She really was happy about all of this; and it made Robin feel great. Sure, the Trials were not over yet. Slade and Trigon were unaccounted for, and a million things could still go wrong – but right now things were good.

"Move it along Star, or I'll just have to head down there without you." Robin teased as he moved towards the passageway. The ground sloped downwards into the darkness at the entrance to the catacombs, and the underground path looked even more dangerous than the one they'd entered the cavern from.

"No you shall not!" Starfire responded, her tone as playful as his. She landed at his side and the two set off down into the deepest, darkest place on Tamaran; although between the light being given off from Starfire's hands, Robin's flashlight, and the good-vibes they were feeling it didn't seem so bad.

The good feeling was short-lived, however. Mere seconds after they arrived in the catacombs, something roared. A second later, a large black creature came hurtling at them, its mouth open and its teeth bared. The creature was about as large as a bear, though it was black and looked reptilian. Robin saw the beast illuminated by Starfire's hands; it jumped into the air. Robin grabbed Starfire by the waist and pulled her off to the right – seconds later the beast smashed into the ground where they had been.

Starfire rolled off Robin and began firing Starbolts into the darkness; they illuminated the entire cavern and made several explosions. The beast was visible now, thanks to the light show, and he made an easy target for both Titans. Robin hurled an explosive disc and Starfire continued to pound the monster relentlessly with her righteous fury.

Finally, when the cloud of dust had become so big, they could not even see the creature anymore; the Titans stopped. The flames were still burning and the Titans could see just fine now.

"Starfire, what was –"

"I do not know what that was Robin; but I have no desire in meeting another one." Starfire replied before he could finish the question.

"Me neither Star; let's find the keepsake and get out of here."

"Agreed."

The lovers took one last look at the strange creature and then proceeded through the catacombs. Their good mood had been replaced by the utmost caution. They knew they were in _real_ danger now.

What they did not know was that Beast Boy, Raven and Cyborg were in even worse danger just outside.

**

* * *

**

Beast Boy opened his mouth to pose another question; but no one ever heard it.

A loud, piercing scream drowned out any sound coming from Beast Boy's mouth. The Titans quickly scrambled out of the TMV and looked towards the Cavern – but the scream had not come from inside the dark caves. It had come from the other direction entirely. The Titans realized this quickly and began looking for the source of the commotion – and to their dismay, they found it.

One of the pilots of the TMV was flying towards them, his face twisted in horror and blood falling on the ground from his wounds as he flew. One of his massive hands was clamped around his shoulder. The white uniform he was wearing was smeared with bloodstains; and they were fresh. Behind him flew his attacker, a familiar face for the Titans by now, Trigon the Terrible.

Trigon was not much larger than an average Tamaranian male, at least right now, he was not, but he flew much faster. The demon narrowed his four-eyes and fired a blast of his rainbow-colored death beams at the solider. The titans watched helplessly as the beams collided with the pilot's back and tore straight through and out his front. The pilot hit the ground, dead and bleeding, and Trigon pulled up in his flight and landed beside the body with a satisfied smirk. Then he looked towards the Titans.

Raven stood in the middle, her eyes narrowed and anger bubbling through her veins. Beast Boy was at her right, he was nervous but he did not let it show. Cyborg was on the left, already aiming his arm-cannon and charging a shot. Trigon watched them assume the battle stance, but he ignored it. Instead of attacking them, he turned and looked at the Cavern of Trials.

"You're all so very predictable. You never really change it up, do you?" Trigon asked in a passive voice; rather than his usual thunderous roar.

"All you do is kill, rape and eat; talk about predictable." Raven snapped back.

"Hmm. Good point little Raven, good point." Her father admitted, turning his face to the Titans and displaying his satisfied smile for them to see. "I did fall into a rather routine existence, didn't I? I would just sit around at my palace, killing my followers, making babies and devouring the occasional planet. Then you came along; and you've been a thorn in my side ever since. Of all my children, only one has ever managed to piss me off more than you Raven. Pity you'll never get a chance to meet him."

A ball of fire suddenly sprang to life inside Trigon's right hand; the flames swirled around his claws in anticipation. The Titans maintained their battle poses and kept their eyes locked on their enemy.

It was time for a showdown.

**

* * *

**

**A/N**: Given the title of this chapter, and the general history of this story; you should have been expecting this cliffhanger. Well, never fear, "The Trials of Tamaran (Pt. II)" is coming soon. Will Robin and Starfire find the keepsake? Can Trigon the Terrible be defeated once and for all? Where the heck is Slade?  
The answers to these and other questions in Chapter Twenty; coming soon!

-cough- reviews may make it come even sooner –cough-

**- Golden-sama (Brandon)**


	20. The Trials of Tamaran Part II

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Twenty**

"The Trials of Tamaran (Pt. II)"

**

* * *

**

The passageways of the catacombs were one of the most dangerous places Robin had ever been. That was saying something, considering some of the places he had found himself stuck in during his extensive crime-fighting career. This place was as confusing as one of the Riddler or Mumbo's traps, as dangerous as many of the places he'd ventured too while hunting Slade, and filled with monsters meaner than most of the supervillians he'd combated over the years. Still, whether it was a three-toed geroff, or an entire nest of necroflies; Starfire and Robin managed to survive the battle.

They had been moving deeper and deeper through the catacombs, always their eyes darting in every direction for some sign of the keepsake; or for some sign that they were not alone. Generally they found the latter, and wound up in another brief but very dangerous battle. Starfire's high spirits were still soaring; but she no longer made a show of it. The same happiness sparkled in her eyes, but she was at her most serious as a warrior. Robin's demeanor was calm and his head was cool; he was ready for anything.

Then the couple arrived in a large, open area. The usual darkness was pierced not only by their combination of starbolt charges and flashlight beams; but also by a tiny beam of natural lighting. The beam came from a tiny crack in the ceiling; and the moment the youths saw this they realized where it came from. The same tiny crack they had dropped the keepsake inside. It was here. It was in this room.

"Robin!" Starfire squealed, dropping her serious demeanor at the sight of this. "It is here! We have arrived!"

"I know Star." Robin replied, unable to hide the excitement in his own voice. He hadn't admitted it until now, but for a long time he'd been just as excited about these Trials as Starfire; though he was a lot less obvious about it. It was a side-effect of being raised by Batman; he knew how to hide emotion, usually.

Starfire floated over towards the beam of light before Robin could stop her. The coral ball was sitting at the very base of the beam, illuminated for all to see. Starfire's face lit up like a Christmas tree and before she could stop herself, she was on her hands and knees, her face inches away from the keepsake just staring at it. She did not want to touch it yet – she was waiting for Robin. They had to touch it together.

That's when she noticed something. There was something _else_ lying close to the keepsake. Starfire's eyes widened in silent horror as she realized what it was and she opened her mouth. She tried to call out so that she could warn Robin; but no sound escaped her now-completely dry throat. They had run into the one creature she had been hoping they would not. Giant unknown monsters, necroflies and geroffs were all bad; but this was worse. This was the most dangerous animal on Tamaran; and one of her personal fears.

Curled up a few feet away from the Starfire, staring directly at her with its baseball sized ruby-red eyes, was a large pink snake, over ten feet in length. It had the same strange body as the ones Shady had set loose on the ship in the beginning of their trip; it resembled a worn-out camping bag, instead of scales. Green patters in the shape of rectangles covered its back and the rest of its body was pink.

"S-S-S-S-hoe worm." Starfire managed to sputter quietly, hoping to warn Robin.

"Did you find something Starfire?" Robin was on the other side of the room with his back turned to her. He heard the sound of her voice; but he hadn't identified the words she said. Robin turned his head casually to the side and that's when he spotted the scene unfolding through the green glow on Starfire's hands. The moment he saw the shoe worm, Robin sprinted into action. He grabbed a bird-a-rang in mid run and threw it – and in perfect timing too.

The shoe worm was hungry; and it didn't want to pass up a meal as delicious as Starfire. Most of the time it was stuck raiding necrofly nests for its meals; but today it would be delighted to eat and entire Tamaranian. The shoe worm reared its head up and barred its fangs; but Robin's bird-a-rang struck it in the side of the head and sent it plummeting to the side, dead, before it could strike. Robin arrived a moment later, kicked the body of the shoe worm away, and dropped down to his knees so he could take Starfire in his arms.

"I hate those things." Robin said.

Starfire looked up at him apologetically; but he shook his head. He had already established her fear of shoe worms back on the ship with Shady; and he could not blame her for it. That's when Robin noticed the coral ball sitting in the light next to them. He nodded towards it with his head and Starfire's face went from apologetic to brimming with joy.

"You _did_ find it." Robin laughed.

"I did." Starfire grinned back.

"On three?" Robin asked.

"One." Was Starfire's response.

"Two." Robin replied, he and Starfire both had they hands poised above the keepsake now.

"Three!" They shouted together, and they let their hands fall onto the keepsake. The moment their hands fell, the keepsake began to glow. Robin and Starfire both drew their hands back and looked down at the glowing keepsake with quizzical stares. Then they looked at one another; though they found no answers in each other's eyes.

"Is there some other part to the trials that I missed?" Robin asked and he jumped up to his feet and took a step backwards. The coral ball was still glowing; but now it was floating too. Tiny bolts of what appeared to be lightning were swirling around it.

"If it is, I too missed it." Starfire replied; she was at Robin's side and her eyes were fixed on the keepsake. Something was wrong; this wasn't supposed to happen.

Then there was sound like thunder; and a flash of light. It sounded like the keepsake had blown apart, but the white light that illuminated the room was too bright for either Titan to see. It lasted only a split-second; and when the light vanished, the answer became depressingly clear.

A moment ago, the keepsake had been floating in front of them. Now the only thing in front of Starfire and Robin was Slade Wilson.

"I must admit I didn't give the two of you enough credit." Slade's cutting voice called from behind the mask. "You slipped past Shady, defeated one of the finest assassins in the universe, survived a multitude of traps designed by yours truly, survived assaults by both myself and Trigon, defeated the cultists _and_ made it through the Trials of Tamaran. You've both changed so much since our first encounter."

"You haven't changed." Robin replied.

"Oh no?" Slade challenged.

"No. You're always the same. You play your mind games and set your traps; you manipulate everyone around you, be they good or evil; and you always fail. Then you always try to do things yourself; and still you fail. You're pathetic Slade; you couldn't beat us then, and you can't beat us now."

Slade withdrew his bo-staff and held it behind him in his right hand. His legs dropped down into a battle stance and he extended his right hand forward; making a "come-and-get-me" signal with his fingers.

"You've been a fun challenge Robin; but this will be our last battle." Slade informed him.

"That's music to my ears." Was all Robin said in response. He had drawn his own bo-staff and was standing in a battle stance similar to Slade's. The long-time rivals were completely oblivious to everything else around them; which is why neither Robin nor Slade was ready for what happened next.

A starbolt collided with Slade's chest and sent him sprawling backwards into the ground; he landed in the beam of light from the cracks high above. As Slade tried to recover, Starfire let out a yell and began raining additional Starbolts down on top of him. She had been standing quietly at Robin's side; but no more. After firing the first shot, she'd flown up into the air and was now hurling bolt after bolt at Slade; stopping only to fire the equally green lasers from her eyes every now and then.

Robin stood silently. He hadn't seen this coming; but he wasn't going to complain. Starfire was _not_ holding back and Robin didn't want to get in the way. The pounding she was now dishing out to Slade looked like it would be enough to decimate a small army; and while Slade was much more dangerous than most small armies, his chances were still looking bad.

Finally Starfire stopped. She floated down and landed next to Robin with a serious-looking face and anger in her eyes. "I am truly tired of him." She informed Robin.

"The feeling is mutual." Robin grinned. He knew Slade was the master of comebacks; but getting back up after a beating like that would be hard, even for him.

"The keepsake!" Starfire gasped, suddenly remembering. She looked at Robin with hopeful eyes; but she already knew what he would say.

"It shattered. This was a trap, Starfire. I'm sorry." Robin's eyes filled with sorrow, and his voice was a bit hoarse. These Trials had been important to Starfire; more important than most things. Robin had seen her get passionate about things before; but ever since the Trials had been mentioned, it seemed like her enthusiasm was higher than normal. Now, it was all another trap.

"Then it has been pointless. We cannot finish the trials without a keepsake; and the entire reason we came to Tamaran was to finish the trials! None of this matters!" Starfire fell to her knees and she finally broke down. Even after all the beatings, the fights, the traps and tricks she'd held her head up high; but now she was defeated.

"Yes it does!" Robin snapped back at her; angry. She looked up at him, her teary eyes full of confusion. Robin had _never_ taken this tone with her before. He'd never yelled like that at any of his friends. It was frightening.

"Starfire, you listen to me. This was a trap; I know. Slade's a pain in the ass, and I realize it seams bad; but if you honestly believe that all of this has been for nothing; then you're not the Starfire I know. We've saved countless lives, you freed hundreds of slaves, we exposed a traitor in your parent's court, and Beast Boy and Raven never would have admitted their feelings for each other if we hadn't have come here. So don't say this was all for nothing. The Starfire I know – the Starfire I love – would never say that."

That was enough for her. Starfire suddenly realized what Robin had known all along; the Trials were pointless. It didn't matter that the keepsake had exploded, and therefore they had failed the Trials. It didn't matter because she knew Robin loved her just as much as she loved him; and she knew they would be together. Nothing could separate them; they wouldn't let it; and they didn't need a test to learn that.

"You are right." Starfire replied, throwing her arms around him in a hug. "And I am sorry. I thought we had to pass the trials to be in love; I was wrong."

"I have news for you Starfire; we _did_ pass the trials. The keepsake doesn't matter; what matters is you know how I feel about you and I know how you feel about me. Nothing else is important."

Starfire leaned back and looked at him. "I love you." She smiled, then she kissed him deeply on the mouth. Robin merely smiled, melted into the kiss, and waited for her to break away before adding his own "I love you too" to the conversation. The Trials were over; and they had been a smashing success.

"This isn't over yet."

Robin and Starfire's happiness was shattered once again by Slade's voice. They turned to their right to find their archenemy struggling to rise. His body was covered in burns and bruises; his suit was torn and tattered and blood was pooling around him. Judging from the way he was pushing himself into a sitting stance with only his right arm, while the left one remained limp at his side, it looked like the left had been broken. His mask was shattered as well; not a trace of it left and finally the titans looked into the true face of Slade Wilson. The face of an mercenary who's white beard was now stained with the deep red blood that flowed out of his mouth. Some teeth were missing, others broken from Starfire's attack. His nose looked as if it too had been broken during the assault. Of course, one of his eyes was covered with a patch while the other looked unblinkingly at the Titans.

"Even as you celebrate; Trigon is outside killing your friends." The unmasked Slade hissed weakly. "And of course, Trigon doesn't plan on forgetting us. He is going to kill Raven; and then he is going to devour the entire planet and kill everyone else on Tamaran. There is no happy ending in store for you, Robin. There never was."

"You know Slade, you're the strongest villain I've ever fought; but you do have one big weakness." Robin replied. "You spend all your time making plans, always looking towards the end. You cannot live your life waiting on the end; you have to think about the here and the now. You spend so much time looking ahead towards your ultimate goal that you fail to notice the smaller things going on right around you; and that's why you lose."

Slade let out a weak chuckle. "Maybe you're right. It's been a pleasure fighting you Robin; and it will be a pleasure dying with you."

"Sorry Slade, but you're going to die alone." Robin replied coldly. He turned away from Slade and towards Starfire. "Starfire, you can get out of here a lot faster than I can; go on ahead and warn the others. I'll catch up."

Starfire nodded. The two looked at one another for a moment; and then they kissed. It was over quicker than either of them would have liked; but it was a real kiss. She smiled at him and then she turned and sped out of the room, flying as fast as she could. It made sense that she not wait for Robin this time; she would be needed on the battlefield as soon as possible. What she did not expect was Robin's true reason for asking her to leave.

"Not following her?" Slade asked weakly.

"No. I just don't want her to see what I'm about to do." Robin replied. He flicked a bird-a-rang from his belt, but kept his back turned from Slade. "She's never seen me kill anyone before; I want to keep it that way."

Slade laughed once again. "So you don't feel like leaving me here to bleed to death?"

"I want to make sure you don't come back this time. There's only way to do that." Robin spat coldly. "I don't like it; but I don't have a choice."

Robin turned around and threw the bird-a-rang without another word. It hit Slade in the forehead and the master of manipulation fell backwards, dead.

Robin did not say another word; he turned and ran towards the entrance, determined to find his friends and help in what could be the final battle with Trigon; and what would be their final battle ever if they failed.

**

* * *

**

While Robin and Starfire had been descending deeper into the caves, the other titans had been confronted by Trigon. After making his appearance, the demon lord wasted no time in starting the battle. Raven, Beast Boy and Cyborg had all assumed a battle stance – Raven stood in the middle and took on the role of 'leader', as she often did when Robin was absent, Beast Boy stood at her right with Cyborg on her left. They did not stay that way for long; however.

Trigon hurled a fist full of flames at the Titans and they had to scramble to avoid it. Raven disappeared into the ground and re-rose up a few feet back; Beast Boy transformed himself into a crow and flew as high as he could to avoid the searing blast of heat, while Cyborg was forced to jump and roll across the ground to the left. Cyborg had the closets call, nearly singed by Trigon's flame; but he also had the quickest response time. As soon as he had rolled away from danger, he aimed his arm-cannon and fired a shot with a mighty cry of "Booyah!"

Cyborg's blast connected with Trigon's chest and exploded on contact; the blue lights burst through and sent the demon sprawling backwards a few steps. However, it was far from enough; Trigon recovered with all haste and retaliated with his eye-lasers. Cyborg had to roll aside once again to avoid the beams; but he was not as graceful this time. One of the beams scraped across his back, burning metal and flesh alike and causing the half-man to scream out in anguish.

Trigon moved in for the kill; but as he often did, he ignored the bigger picture. Suddenly, much to his dismay, beams of black light wrapped around his body and began pulling him backwards. Raven had reappeared behind him and wasted no time in binding her father with her own demon energies; and while Trigon was stronger, she was dedicated.

"This won't hold me for long." Trigon taunted.

"Long enough!" Beast Boy called out. He and Raven were attacking together; although Beast Boy's choice of weaponry was questionable. While he had still been in crow-form he had taken to flying in the air above Trigon; with the demon now bound, he transformed from tiny-green-crow into large-green-elephant. Elephants, of course, cannot fly; and so Beast Boy fell.

He landed on Trigon and the impact caused the demon's knees to buckle. If Trigon had seen the attack coming he could have grown larger, of course, and caused the entire thing to fail – but luckily he had not seen the attack as it came and he wound up smashed beneath Beast Boy. Beast Boy wasted no time in reverting to his regular form and jumping away from Trigon's body. Trigon's legs had bent back too far and the demon wound up flat on his back, still tied by Raven's energy and now filled with a blend of anger and pain.

"You're dead! You're all dead!" Trigon bellowed in his thunderous voice. A moment later, he pushed his arms out and snapped Raven's mental bindings. He then began to push himself back up. His legs were broken, of course; but he could float and fly just like his daughter so he really did not need them at all.

Cyborg was hurt; but not out. As he saw Trigon rise into the air, he aimed his arm-cannon and fired a blast. It hit Trigon in the back and exploded; and it was not the other thing. A wave of starbolts also collided with Trigon's side at nearly the exact same time, the combination sent the demon reeling off to the left, and forward and he wound up slamming into the ground once again.

Starfire had appeared at the entrance to the cavern, and she had not wasted a second in joining the attack. The others didn't waste time with questions, instead they all pounced. Trigon was rising in the air once again and he was met with a ferocious resistance from the Titans. Starfire hurled another round of Starbolts, Cyborg blasted away with his cannon, and Raven fired a thick beam of black light right at her father's face. The combination was enough to create a massive explosion that dropped Trigon back to the ground; this time the demon screamed in fury.

"Enough of these games—"

Trigon had sprinted back into the air, his anger having finally reached its limit. As he did, however, an explosive disc collided with the side of his head and exploded in a shower of red-hot flames. Robin had arrived and the team was complete.

Trigon was once again on the ground. Raven and Beast Boy had found their footing and stood to the north of him; each ready to attack the moment her rose. Starfire was west of the demon with her fists charging her next assault, Robin stood to the east with explosive discs tucked between his fingers, and Cyborg, finally up off the ground, was south of the demon with his arm-cannon aimed and ready. The Titans had formed a circle around their final foe; and it seemed like Trigon would go down now.

"I'm getting tired of this." Trigon grunted as he floated up into the air. His body was tattered and bruised, and his legs dangled beneath him limp and lifeless. It had been many hundreds of years since he had last received a beating like this; and he was not happy about it. Slade was dead, Trigon now knew. The plan with the keepsake had failed. They had wasted time and energy once again. Now it was just Trigon. He was the last remaining villain; the final foe. It was time to do things his way.

"We're all getting tired of this; so do us a favor dad, next time we beat you down, stay down." Raven responded boldly. Any fear she once had in the presence of her father was gone. They had been at war for years and she was still here – and today she was stronger than ever before. Her friends were all alive and well and the five teen heroes were each ready to fight to the end. There would be only one winner of this battle.

"I have a better idea." Trigon grinned wickedly. "I'm _hungry_."

Raven had stood without fear against her father – but no longer. The fear had suddenly returned, and it had doubled. Trigon was dangerous in that way; he was like a stick that refused to break. They had pushed him and bent him close to the breaking point; but he remained intact and now he had only one chance to remain that way. The truth was, they could beat him now. If they continued to pound on him like this, it would collapse Trigon's body and give Raven a chance to do battle with his soul-self; but Trigon was not dumb enough to allow that to happen. Instead, he had fallen back on his usual plan B.

If you can't beat 'em, eat the planet.

Trigon bolted into the sky. He was flying now and though Robin threw another round of discs, Cyborg fired his cannon and Starfire launched more starbolts; Raven knew it didn't matter. The attacks, even if they hit him, would not be enough to destroy his body in time. Trigon was growing too; as he flew he slowly began to return to his true size. It would still be a while before he reached the atmosphere and left Tamaran's orbit; they still had time before he was the full-grown Trigon the Terrible – but what could they do? What weapon did they have in their arsenal that could completely destroy his body in time to stop him?

"Damn!" Robin cursed. Raven looked towards him when he did. He had apparently reached for another explosive disc and instead found a small, black cylinder. It was smooth and had a red button on the top – it was a detonator for a bomb. Raven knew she had seen that same detonator before, but it took her a moment to place it. She realized quickly that it was the detonator Robin had taken from Shady's severed hand after they had stopped his suicide attempt on the spaceship. The detonator that controlled the matter-destruction bomb Shady had built into the engine of the spaceship.

Suddenly Raven's eyes widened. They still had Shady's detonator. That detonator controlled a bomb that completely eradicated all matter; which was exactly what she needed to destroy her father's body in time. Galfore had informed the Titans long ago that he was going to disarm the bomb; but had he? Had Galfore disarmed it, or in all the confusion since their arrival on Tamaran had it slipped his mind? Was the perfect weapon to use against her father sitting back at the palace hanger just waiting for her; or was this another hopeless long shot?

Well, since it was their only chance to survive she may as well find out.

Raven quickly grabbed the detonator from Robin's hand; and he stared at her with a quizzical look. She shook her head. "No time to explain; everyone hold on. I've got a plan."

Before any of her friends could inquire, she had transformed into her soul-self's form – the form of a giant black raven – and absorbed them as she had many times in the past. Raven then took flight; flying as fast as she could towards the Royal Hanger, and hopefully, towards the weapon that would destroy her father permanently.

It didn't take her long – which was good, since time was of the essence – and soon her projected soul-self flew in the window and the five titans wound up standing in the midst of the hanger. It was the royal hanger, and filled with many of the King's ships. Including the one they had come to Tamaran on way back in the beginning of things. Several mechanics, and guards, turned around and prepared for battle upon seeing the intruders but Raven was quick to push Starfire out to the front of the group; and each of them bowed in recognition of their princess.

"Listen, this ship, we need to borrow it." Raven quickly explained to one of the engineers – he was a tall Tamaranian wearing a mechanics uniform, except it was trimmed with gold rather than the traditional silver so she had figured him for the boss.

"Ah, you may want another. There is a bomb on this ship, and Lord Galfore has not gotten around to disarming it yet." The Chief Mechanic replied. Raven grinned.

"That's exactly why I need it. Come on!" Raven began floating towards the ship; but Cyborg stepped in her way.

"Rae; that guy just said there was a bomb on the ship. I know we're in a rush, but would you _please_ fill the rest of us in?"

"If you trust me, you get to drive." Raven responded.

Cyborg did not say another word; instead, he turned and hurried up the ramp and onto the familiar ship. Raven turned to the others with a expression on her face that conveyed a clear message of 'trust me', and then she followed him up the ramp. Beast Boy shrugged, he was hopelessly lost but if Raven was going through with this, so was he; and he too boarded the ship. Robin and Starfire didn't say a word as they brought up the rear – they had nothing to lose and everything to gain, so why not?

The mechanics looked skeptical, but Starfire was Princess; and the King had ordered that the other titans be treated like royalty while here, so really they had no choice. The chief engineer quickly gave the signal for the hanger doors to open and inside the cockpit, Cyborg, with a huge grin on his face, started the ship and took off. He did not really know how to fly it; but he had picked up enough watching the Tamaranian soldiers drive the tank earlier that he was able to figure it out; the controls were surprisingly similar.

Now the five titans had reunited in the pilot's room of the ship and they had taken to the skies. Cyborg was in the pilot's seat, Raven sat as co-pilot. Beast Boy was crowded between the seats, with Robin standing behind Cyborg and Starfire behind Raven.

"Cyborg, I want you to find my dad and crash the ship into his chest." Raven explained at last.

"Say WHAT?" Cyborg nearly fainted. Flying a strange alien ship was one thing – crashing into Trigon the Terrible was another.

"Just do it. I'll transport us back to the ground just before impact, and then we'll see if this is all worth it or not." Raven replied.

"I don't know Rae –"

"Trust her dude." Beast Boy cut Cyborg off in the middle of his objection. "I don't like this either; but Raven's got a plan. Let's just trust her."

Cyborg turned to Robin, who nodded his head and said, "Let's trust her." Cyborg sighed, but he did what as they advised. He pulled the throttle back and the ship jetted forward as fast as it could move. While everything had happened at a very fast pace, they were still running out of time. Trigon was nearing Tamaran's atmosphere and once he left the planet, he would grow to his full size and it would be too late. This was their one last chance; the last play. The Titans would either win, defeat Trigon and save the lives of everyone on Tamaran or they would all be eaten. There was no third outcome this time.

They could see Trigon now. Cyborg cranked the ship up to top speed and everything that happened after that was a blur. Trigon must have sensed Raven approached, because he stopped flying and turned around; but not in time. The ship impaled him in his chest at full speed; as it did Raven used her soul-self to transport the Titans to the ground below; just as she had used it to get them in the hanger. Trigon let out a scream of pain, since he now had a spaceship stuck in his chest, but he stood his ground floating in mid air.

The giant red demon looked down at the ground where the black raven had landed. He looked at his daughter and her friends and he wondered what they were doing. Did they think he'd be stopped by this? Sure, it hurt; but it could not kill Trigon. He was _immortal_. He could not die unless his entire body was destroyed – and even then, he could be reborn with his soul-self. They were only postponing the inevitable.

"You really are getting on my nerves, Raven." Trigon roared down in his thunderous voice. "You lost! Don't you realize that? I'm Trigon the Terrible, and you stood up to me like so many before you – and now you will die just like all of them!"

Far below on the ground, Raven was standing tall. Beast Boy and Cyborg stood to her right, Robin and Starfire on her left. None of them knew what she had planned and they looked at her expectantly. It was easy to trust that she had a plan; it was harder to think it was working. They had expected the spaceship to be it – and they were all disappointed by what was happening now. Raven, however, had a large smile on her face.

"Sorry dad, it's your turn to die." Raven replied quietly. Then she lifted up her hand, which contained the detonator for the matter-bomb. Robin spotted the detonator and suddenly he put two and two together to make four.

"Raven, you're a _genius_!" He whispered.

Raven did not reply; instead, she stood firm, staring at her father. Then she let her thumb fall onto the small red button.

Less than a second later, the bomb went off.

There was a humming sound, and then an explosion engulfed Trigon the Terrible from the inside out. The only thing people could see was a large ball of blue light that he burst forth through Trigon's chest and began to grow and consume everything around it. The ball continued to grow and fan out in all directions, and as it did, the very fabric of the world was unraveled; like a black hole in reverse. Finally, the ball of bright blue stopped growing and it began to fade away.

The light from the blast had been so bright; each of the Titans was forced to cover their eyes. Robin blocked his face with one arm, Cyborg did the same. Starfire used both hands, while Raven had lowered her hood and merely closed hers. Beast Boy hadn't been as quick and had actually see the whole thing – it had been so bright he was now blinking rapidly trying to restore his sight.

Slowly the titans uncovered their eyes (and Beast Boy's vision returned) and they all looked up at the sky. What they saw was horrible.

Trigon was gone; but his soul remained. Just as Raven's soul-self took on the form of a giant black raven, Trigon's soul-self had its own form; what it was, was a question. Trigon's soul-self was . . . horrible. A monstrous creature, completely black just like Raven's raven, with terrible features. It did not really look like anything the Titans had ever seen before; so describing it is impossible. Yet they all agreed that Trigon's soul-self was the single most frightening thing they had ever seen.

Raven alone was smiling. She'd done it. She collapsed his body. She had killed her father. Yet as long as his soul-self remained, he could come back. She still had to finish her plan – she had to confront the grotesque obscenity that floated in the sky; and she had to destroy it.

"Rae, what the hell is that thing?" Beast Boy asked in a shaky voice.

"My father's soul; I have to face it, now, before he can find a new body to possess." She replied quietly.

"We're going to fight _that_?" Beast Boy responded, shock and horror in his voice.

"_I'm_ going to fight that." Raven corrected him. "Sorry Gar, you can't help me this time."

"Why not?" Beast Boy demanded at once. "We're your friends; we want to help."

"And I wish you could." Raven replied softly. "But you can't help me unless you're a demon, which you aren't. I'm sorry."

Raven, for the third time since the battle had begun, transformed into her own soul-self. The giant black raven flew up into the skies and away from her four friends, who were forced to do no more than watch, pray and wait. None of the titans spoke; because none of them knew what to say. All they could do was hope.

The giant black raven flew upwards until it reached Trigon's soul-self. Then the raven reverted into Raven and she looked at her father's essence.

"You failed, Trigon." She whispered. Then she lifted her hands out in front of her and began to concentrate. She would only get one chance at this. She would have to focus everything she had into one attack; and pray that she was strong enough to vanquish him. Trigon could not attack her, not while he was bodiless. Unfortunately, for Raven there was one thing he could do. She had not expected him to try it; but he did try.

Raven was chanting her mantra when she felt it. Trigon's soul-self was trying to invade her mind – he was trying to possess her. To take over Raven's body and turn her into the new Trigon the Terrible; the next destroyer of worlds. She should have guessed he would try something like that; but she had overlooked it. It didn't matter, it only added to her need to hurry.

_You are mine Raven. I gave you life. Now I need you._ Trigon voice was going off in her mind, she could feel his presence inside her.

"This is over. You're dead dad, and you're not coming back." She replied as she struggled to concentrate; to absorb her energies for the attack she had to make soon.

_You have already failed. You never stood a chance from the beginning. I think I'll enjoy being you, Raven. I know I'll enjoy slaughtering your friends and destroying your planet from inside your body. Yes, that sounds like fun._

"_Azarath Metreon Zinthos_!" Raven cried out. She opened her eyes to find that Trigon's soul-self was on top of her, trying to pierce and invade her mind and body. The black light flashed from her hands and it consumed them both; the father and the daughter.

Below on the ground, the Titans watched helplessly. The moment Trigon had attacked his soul to Raven they had all gone nuts. Starfire was having to hold Beast Boy (who was now a large bird) back to keep him from flying up to the scene; although in reality she was tempted to let him go and to join him in the flight. Cyborg was staring with a horrified look plastered on his face, wondering what this meant. He didn't know who was winning, or how to find out. Robin stood silently watching. His eyes were hopeful; but his face also expressed doubts. Truthfully, he had no clue what was happening – he only knew he knew had to trust his friend.

Then the light cleared away. Trigon's soul-self was gone; and Raven was floating in mid air. She felt . . . different. Her father was gone; she could not feel his presence at all; which meant his soul-self was gone. Without his soul-self, Trigon could never return. He was dead; and he would stay that way. Still, something didn't feel quite right with her. Raven felt different inside – but she couldn't describe it.

It did not matter. She was so tired. Raven closed her eyes and went to sleep; as she did so she felt wonderful, since she had finally defeated her father. She had put an end to all the murder, all the rape, all the terror and horror that was commonplace with Trigon the Terrible. She could sleep well knowing that.

Unfortunately, she was still several hundred feet in the air at the time; and she could not continue flying while she was asleep.

So she fell.

**

* * *

**

Raven opened her eyes saw a familiar ceiling. She tried to sit up, but found it impossible. Her entire body ached; from head to toe. It wasn't as bad in some places, but she couldn't move yet. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep after killing her father; and obviously something had happened since then. She was in a bed; a warm, soft bed. And she was covered with blankets. The strange thing was she recognized the bed and the blankets just like she recognized the ceiling.

"Good morning Rae."

Beast Boy's voice reached her ears, and Raven felt herself smile.

"Skip the good mornings, start the explaining." Raven responded playfully. This caused her to pause. She was playful? That was strange. She was very rarely playful – and especially not when she was confused and in pain.

"I figured you'd say that." Beast Boy responded. "Well, first of all I caught you. I kinda freaked out when I saw you fall and Starfire couldn't hold me back anymore – not that she wanted too really, she was flying to try to catch you too. Anyway, I caught you as a eagle and sort of carried you back to ground; but you wouldn't wake up."

Raven smiled. She had _not_ hit the ground; that was good to know.

"To be honest, I was a little broken up after that; because you wouldn't wake up and all, so I was a little out of it while we all went back to the palace. Cy had to carry me. Starfire carried you; and Robin just did the whole silent leader thing and tried to keep us all sane. The healers said you were in a coma or something, brought on by extreme physical and mental strain. They said you were perfectly fine; but they had no clue when . . . or if . . . you'd wake up."

Raven could feel Beast Boy's pain in his voice. Being an empath as well did not help and she quickly did her best to comfort him. "Hey, I'm awake now."

"Yeah, I know; it's just . . . I was scared Raven." His voice was cracking.

"Finish the story; then have your breakdown." Raven replied, she still sounded a bit playful; which was a strange thing.

"Yes ma'am." Beast Boy responded; and now he sounded playful himself. "Anyway, Robin decided it was best we go home; since we'd be away for so long, and he thought you might wake up sooner if you were in a familiar environment so --"

Ding. Raven _knew_ she recognized this bed. It was _her_ bed; and she was in _her room_. In Titan's Tower, On Earth, _They were home_.

"So we went home?" Raven finished for him.

"Yeah. Hope you don't mind me being in your room." Beast Boy replied sheepishly.

"You've got that big goofy grin on your face, don't you?" Raven asked him. She still couldn't see him, since she had not yet tried to turn to the side. In response, she felt the edge of the bed sink down as his weight was added to it, and a moment later Beast Boy's face – completely with the exact grin Raven had been imagining – appeared above her.

"Hiya Rae." Beast Boy smirked.

"You don't use mouthwash, do you?" Raven responded, which caused Beast Boy to sit up and check his breath. Raven snickered to herself; and that's when she realized something else.

She _was_ playful; and that meant her emotions were running wild inside her head. Usually that was a dangerous thing; but right now the only thing she felt was happiness. This was proof that the thing she had always waited for had finally happened. It was all real. Trigon the Terrible really was dead and gone – that was the only explanation for her uncontrollable emotions being so free to express themselves.

"Beast Boy, you're breath is fine; now finish telling me what I missed."

"Huh? Well, that's about it really. I mean, the tower was all spotlessly clean when we got back, so we figured something weird had happened while we were gone. Cyborg checked the security tapes and there was this whole thing with Doug and a bunch of supervillians, but to be honest I was more concerned about you and didn't pay much attention to it when Robin explained everything. Since then I've pretty much been waiting for you to wake up. The town has been pretty quiet – Johnny Rancid went on a crime spree a couple days ago, but Robin and Starfire took care of him on their own. It's been twelve days since you beat Trigon, by the way."

Beast Boy finished the explanation, and Raven closed her eyes. Twelve days. She had been out for that long? She still had a few unanswered questions though, and she may as well ask them while she had the chance.

"Why can't I move?" Raven asked.

"The healers said you're body received an extreme shock during the battle with your dad. You're fine, no broken bones or stuff; but they said it might take a couple days after you wake up for your body to fully recover from everything. Though they did say you would recover fully – if you woke up, which you did so –"

"I get the point." Raven cut him off. "The bottom line is we won, right?"

Beast Boy's face appeared above her own once again. "Looks that way."

Raven smiled up at him. "Good."

"Can I kiss you now?" Beast Boy asked.

"No." Raven replied.

Beast Boy's eyes went wide and he opened his mouth in shock. He had not expected that answer at all. He was hoping for an 'I wish you would', or a 'of course', hell he would have settled for a 'if you have too' – but a flat out 'no'? It was shocking.

"Beast Boy, relax, I'm _joking_. Of course you can kiss me."

Beast Boy felt relief spread through his body and decided not to chance it. He bent his face down and kissed Raven. It was probably the deepest kiss the two had shared yet; not to mention the longest. They were both hesitant to break it; and it did not end until Robin's voice filled the room.

"Be careful Raven, you know Beast Boy's still underage."

Beast Boy jumped up out of shock and had to transform into a insect so that he wouldn't hurt Raven when he fell back down. Raven scowled; remembering all too well the jokes she and Beast Boy had made when they caught Robin and Starfire kissing in the hospital on Tamaran.

"You've been waiting to say that, haven't you?" She asked in an annoyed voice.

"Yeah, pretty much." Robin replied. "How you feeling?"

"Lousy. I _was_ feeling better; but my privacy suddenly vanished. This is still _my room_. People should _knock_ before entering my room. We've been over this before."

"Yeah, especially when we're making out dude!" Beast Boy added as he became his human form again – he was now sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You two shouldn't complain as much. I could have brought Star with me; then you'd have to deal with my sarcasm _and_ her . . . excitement." Robin pointed out.

"Where is Star, anyway?" Beast Boy asked. He had not seen her around earlier when he had raided the refrigerator; then again, he had hardly left Raven's side for twelve days.

"She and Cyborg took Bruce back to Gotham." Robin explained. "He was telling stories about me when I was young, so Star wanted to hear them. Cyborg said he was going along to make sure Star didn't bug Bruce; but I think he just wants a chance to see the Batmobile."

"Dude, he'll steal that car." Beast Boy warned.

"I'd steal _that_ car." Robin confessed, with a grin.

"If you two want to talk about cars; get out of my room." Raven responded.

The three of them laughed; and they had become accustomed to doing. To them, it was over. They had gone to Tamaran; and they had come home. They had destroyed Slade Wilson and Trigon the Terrible – and neither of them would be coming back. They had survived it all; and now it was time to move on to the next stage of their lives.

The Teen Titans believed it was the ending.

It was **_not_** the ending. Not even close.

**

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**

**A/N**: See, no cliffie! I was nice for a chance.

Chapter Twenty-One of Anything, Anytime, Anywhere For You is coming soon. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, and there's much planning to do – so it might be a few days; but it will be worth the wait! Why? Because Chapter Twenty-One will introduce the **new villains**, it'll have some **fun with our heroes**, and perhaps a **little surprise**.

Now I shall get down on my hands and knees and beg you for reviews, as I usually do. XD

See you soon folks!

**Golden-Sama (Brandon)**


	21. Normality

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Twenty-One**

"Normality"

**A/N**: There's a lot of stuff about Trigon's origins in this chapter; and all of it is made up. As far as I know, no one had ever explained Trigon's origins. Not in the original comic, not in the animated show, not in the new comic series; it's never been gotten into. So I made it all up. If anyone knows some actual stuff about Trigon's origins, I'd love to hear it; but for the purposes of AAAFY we're going to have to go by my version. (Mainly 'cause changing it now would void the plot.) Anyway, enough talking – time for story.

**

* * *

**

It had taken twelve days since their "final battle" on Tamaran for Raven to awaken from her coma. It took another six for Titan's Tower to return to normal. Of course, what is considered normal for five teenage superheroes is still strange for the rest of the world. It was a slow process; trying to return to the way things had been before their trip. Moreover, some things would not change. The romances that were formed on the trip were here to stay, it seemed.

Robin and Starfire, whose romance had not been a shock to anyone, were doing fine. They were much more open with their affection these days; since that had been the entire point of the Trials. They would still receive a hard time from their friends – Cyborg did not consider his morning complete until he had teased the two about something – but that was nothing new.

Beast Boy remained at Raven's side, despite her awakening from the coma. She did not seem to mind his company; although he was forced to knock before entering her room. (It seemed that rule couldn't be broken by anyone, not even the boyfriend.) Raven was in much higher spirits herself these days. The coma was over, and she was slowly regaining her strength. By the sixth day, she was moving about the tower once again as if nothing had happened at all. This was ironic, considering she had changed the most of anyone.

On the outside, Raven was still Raven. She was still gothic, quiet and slightly creepy. The difference was she now acted this way by choice. Her emotions were under her control for the first time in her life; and she was still learning to adjust. She laughed a lot more now, and she and Beast Boy, while nowhere near Robin and Starfire's level, had been caught snuggling on the couch a few times themselves. The change was for the better; Beast Boy insisted. Raven agreed. She would not go as far as to say she was a completely new person – Raven was still Raven – but she had to admit there were many changes in who she was; and she liked them.

It had taken a full eighteen days since Trigon and Slade were defeated; but things were back to normal. Tamaran – and everything that had happened there – was still fresh in everyone's minds; but it was also becoming a series of memories. Many memories better than others; but overall, a good experience.

The return to Jump City also meant the return to responsibility. The usual habits and practices had to be re-adjusted. The T-Car, R-Cycle and Beast Boy's prized moped all needed to be tuned once again (a task Cyborg volunteered himself for). Training was part of their day-to-day lives again; although it was doubtful that the trip had dulled their skills, if anything it had improved them. Then of course, there was the biggest part of their lives – the one thing they all shared in common. The thing that had introduced and united the five teenagers in the first place.

Crime fighting.

Luckily, they had caught a break since their return. Slade was gone; and he had really been the worst Jump had to offer. The HIVE children were still under incarceration at the local police department, thanks to Doug, and many of their other "regular enemies" were absent lately. Johnny Rancid had tried a few tricks not long ago; but he was now safely behind bars. It was not until their eighteenth day back that the Titans really had any crime to fight at all. This time in came in two forms. Neither was dangerous; but both were, well, annoying.

**

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**

Downtown.

There was always something going on downtown. Today a strange man in a strange black-and-white suit was standing in the middle of the street. His name was Dr. Light; and he was a "super villain"; although he had never done anything outstanding when it came to committing crimes. Right now, he was not even breaking the law. He was merely standing in the middle of the street with a long metal pole in his hand, tapping the ground as he walked.

"No, not here either, dammit where could it be?" Light muttered to himself.

"Hey dude, whatcha doing?"

Dr. Light, a little disgruntled from being called 'dude', turned around. Two youngsters were standing on the side of the road looking at him. The first was short and round with a pink pudgy face and big chocolate eyes; he wore a baseball cap, dark sweater and jeans. The second was a girl, smaller than he was and dressed in red shorts and a matching T-shirt. Her hair was blonde, her build was slim and her eyes were blue.

"Are you talking to me?" Dr. Light asked, flabbergasted that kids would just walk right up and talk to him. They did realize he was a "terrifying" supervillian, didn't they?

"Yeah. Whatcha doing?" The little girl asked.

"I . . . I'm hatching an evil scheme." Dr. Light responded, still a little shaken up.

"What kind of evil scheme, mister?" The boy asked.

Dr. Light was not sure if he was more annoyed or shocked by their reaction. Well, it couldn't hurt to give an evil monolog anyway; so why not? After all, was it so uncommon for supervillian to just stand around and announce their plans to no on in particular?

"Well, I'm trying to locate a specific spot on the city's power grid, so I can drain all of the electricity in the city into my suit here. Then I will plunge this city into darkness unless my demands are met!" Dr. Light explained dramatically. The kids looked unimpressed.

"What's a power grid?" The boy asked.

"We'll still have the sun right?" The girl pointed out. "So it won't really be that dark except at nighttime, and it's dark then anyway . . ."

Dr. Light blinked. "T-that isn't the point! What about TV?"

"We can read." The boy responded.

Dr. Light really had not expected _that_ answer. "Yeah, well, what about your refrigerators? And toasters! And your microwaves! How will you survive without microwaves?"

The children stood on the street corner, looking unimpressed. Apparently, a world without microwaves was not their deepest fear. Dr. Light felt rather foolish now. These children had taken all the fun out of his job. Still, he was convinced that if he could just steal the electricity for a week he'd change everyone's minds. They'd be crawling to him. Everyone from bank tellers trying to open electronic vaults; to children wanting to use the toaster on their hot pockets. He could rule the entire city! He knew he could; and no one was going to stop him. After all, what did he have to be afraid of?

"Just get lost!" He snapped at the children. Much to his pleasant surprise, the turned around and ran off down the street. Dr. Light crossed his arms and allowed a smug little smile to etch itself on his face. He was scary after all.

"Boo."

Dr. Light heard the voice, and then he froze. It sounded familiar; a little too familiar for his taste. Dr. Light slowly turned his head over his right shoulder to find Raven hovering above the ground behind him. Beast Boy stood at her side.

"_Damn it_." Light cursed, shutting his eyes. He'd wasted all his time monologing with those kids; and now the Titans had shown up. What's worse, of all the Titans, Raven was by far his least favorite. She was_ always_ the one to stop him. Now Raven and Beast Boy were standing behind Dr. Light. Neither of them had bothered to take a battle stance yet. Dr. Light was tempted to attack them; but another idea had sprung into his mind that seemed a lot safer.

"Can I just turn myself in?" Dr. Light asked with a sigh.

"It'll be less painful for you if you do." Beast Boy replied.

Really, Dr. Light had no interest in just turning himself in; but memories of his earlier encounters with Raven were still floating around in his mind, and he preferred prison. "Okay, let's go to jail then." The doctor sighed.

"Crime fighting's become a lot easier than I remembered." Raven smirked.

"And a lot more boring." Beast Boy complained. "I wonder if things are this slow for Robin and the others."

**

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**

Things were not quite as slow for Robin and the others; although they _were_ every bit as annoying. A distress call had come in from a local mall, uptown. There had been no details on what kind of crime was being committed, or who was responsible. Since the call had arrived at nearly the same time as reports of Dr. Light's alleged crime had; the Titans had split up. They all knew Raven had a history for easily taking down Light, so she and Beast Boy had gone after him; leaving Robin, Starfire and Cyborg to investigate the unknown trouble uptown.

From the outside, the mall looked fine. People no longer flooded in and out of the doors, however. There was a long line of police tape keeping shoppers back; though none of the officers on the other side of the tape would enter the mall either. Robin had thought this peculiar as he climbed off the R-cycle and ran towards the doors to join Starfire and Cyborg, who had beaten him to the scene by mere seconds.

"Cops say there's a giant cocoon inside the mall." Cyborg explained as Robin joined them.

Robin nodded. "Killer Moth. Well, it could be worse. Let's go deal with this before the cocoon hatches."

The Titans quickly made their way past the police tape and inside the revolving doors. The mall was huge and the main room was impressive. Clothing, video game and shoe stores lined the walls with escalators, glass elevators and an impressive food court all in place. Normally people were pouring in and out of the shops, crowding the elevators and dining in the food court; today there was a giant gray cocoon hanging from the ceiling.

This isn't what bothered Robin the most, though. What bothered him worst was who was standing beneath the cocoon. It was _not_ Killer Moth, as he had suspected. It was someone much worse.

It was Kitten.

"I take back what I said, it couldn't possible be any worse." Robin sighed. If Robin was annoyed at the sight of Kitten, it was nothing compared to Starfire. Her eyes had narrowed and already she was forming Starbolts in her fists.

"I wondered when you'd show up Robbie-poo." Kitten's annoyingly high-pitched voice floated down to them as she spoke.

"Titans Go!" Starfire cried out before launching herself forward like a bullet. Neither Cyborg nor Robin attempted to stop her, or get in the way. A moment later Kitten had been tackled to the ground and the pair were rolling around in a vicious battle – of course, Starfire was winning.

"You know, if we could convince all the villains in the city to get crushes on you, Starfire could clean up this town in a day." Cyborg laughed.

"Shut up and help me deal with the cocoon." Robin replied shortly.

**

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**

The Palace was desolate.

On a small planet, a planet without any real name of its own, there sits a place of darkness. This planet is void of any decency, decorum or civilized life. Once, long ago, it was peaceful and beautiful. Then Trigon the Terrible came. Trigon executed the population but in a surprising move, he did not devour the planet. Instead, he made his own. The wildlife died, and the few survivors of Trigon's wrath became slaves – most of them died within the first week, but Trigon had many more where they came from.

The Palace was the only thing on the planet that still existed from its glory days. Of course, it had been changed. It was no longer bright and cheery; demon lords did not live in places that were bright and cheery. It had become gothic, dark and downright evil. It had been eighteen days since Trigon's downfall; but the darkness was as thick as ever.

In addition, the tourist rate was never higher. Many would think that Trigon's downfall would make the demon outdated. After all, who would want to dwell on such a dark, evil figure? Wouldn't everyone be better off to put the dark one behind them and move on? Isn't it better to forget the murder, rape, and torture of millions and focus on happier things?

Not everyone was happy about Trigon's downfall. No, that is not true either. The people who had gathered here on Trigon's planet – in Trigon's palace – did not gather out of respect, loyalty or love of the fallen evil. They had gathered because he had been their father; and they wanted to know what happened to him.

Nearly nineteen years ago Raven's mother had been the cultist bride of Trigon from Earth. Raven had been the result of demon and human; and she had been sent to Azarath. Eventually she became a Titan; and more recently, she did what millions had failed to do – she killed Trigon the Terrible. It sounded like it took a long time; but in reality, Raven was one of the youngest of Trigon's children. She had not been the first-born, nor had she been the last. She had merely been Trigon's latest obsession. It was because she was human; and of all the species in the universe, humans intrigued Trigon most of all. They could be so good, so pure and almost divine; and at the same time, they could be so evil, foul, and demonic. Nothing else had such a broad range of possibilities. Raven had been his half-human daughter; so naturally he had a special spot in his black heart for her.

She had also killed him; but her half-siblings did not know that. Raven's mother had only one child; but her father had countless others. Either from willing cultists from across the galaxy; or unwilling maidens who caught his eye during his travels – the point was the children existed. In addition, if they existed, they had part of Trigon inside them. They were all half-demons. They all had a bit of their father's enormous power living inside them. Some could control it, some could not. Some died because of it; others lived on. Raven was lucky.

Raven was also in the worst danger she had ever been in; and she had no clue whatsoever.

Trigon's children, every one of them, shared the same mental bond with their father that Raven had felt. They could feel him from time to time. If he wanted to find them, he could. If he wanted to torture them the way he had Raven; he did. They had felt it when their father died. The ones who had seen him, the ones who had never met him, and the ones who had not been in his presence for years -- all of them felt it – few understood what it was or what it meant.

Then Sadira and Azarock contacted them. It was a simple message.

If they wanted their questions answers, they needed to come to Trigon's Palace on the small, dark planet. They also needed to come quickly.

Sadira and Azarock were merely waiting now. Currently the twins, a nickname they had received from those who knew their dark origin, were inside the room that had once been their father's throne room. Now it was as empty and desolate as the rest of the palace.

"Why do we even need them all?" Azarock asked. Azarock was the younger of the twins. He took more after his mother. His lower body resembled that of a cockroach; complete with shell, legs and hair. His upper body was a mass of red muscles, almost human-like but more after his father's demonic build. His face was hideous by all accounts. He resembled his father closely, although his hair (also white) was short and thin. His skin was red, and while he had only two eyes, rather than his father's four, his mouth was different. Two large beetle-like pincers protruded from the sides of his mouth.

"We don't need them at all." Sadira replied. "We just need to make sure they don't find Raven. They do not understand how important she has become now. She was not supposed to kill our father, Azarock. She messed everything up."

Azarock snorted. "We know where Raven is. She's on earth; and she has no clue what's about to happen to her, so why do we even waste time?"

"We waste it because we have too." Sadira snapped, obviously annoyed. She wasn't designed like her brother. He was a demon; and just as ugly as you would expect one to be. Sadira was built more like a human – if human's had red skin and silver hair. She was slender, beautiful and deadly. Her eyes were a piercing green and her smile was made from small white fangs. Currently she was wearing a black gown, with an equally black cloak and hood. She was the wiser of the twins; and the oldest of the pair.

The twins were special. They were not just another pair of Trigon's children. They were demons. Not half-demons; they, like their father, were pureblooded demons. Trigon had only one bride who was a fellow demon; his very first bride. They had given birth to three children – the eldest child of all, Trigon's true heir – and the twins.

Not that anyone remembered Trigon's first bride, or his first-born children. After all, as far as anyone knew; they had all died when Trigon devoured _his_ home planet. It had been the start of his conquest; the start of his. He had earned the nickname "Trigon the Terrible" specifically because he had eaten his own home planet; killed his own race first. Why? To prevent competition.

Trigon was a big evil demon who ate planets. He did not need other big evil planet-eating demons running around stealing his ideas. Sadira and Azarock had not been killed with the rest of their race; obviously. Moreover, as far as they knew, the only child older than them – Trigon's first child – had not been as lucky. No one had heard from or seen him since the planet was destroyed; and they had no reason to suspect that would ever chance.

That made them the oldest. That made them the heirs. That made them, in their minds, the rightful owners of something Raven now possessed.

The most ironic part was this; Raven had yet to discover she possessed anything new since Trigon's downfall. In addition, had she known exactly what it was she did possess, she would have been horrified tremendously. Not that her older half-siblings would have cared about her feelings at all; they took after their father. Raven was just a means to an end. All they had to do was follow through with the brilliant plan they were hatching and, within a short amount of time, Raven would be dead and they would be beginning a legacy of evil that would make Trigon the Terrible's rein look like child's play.

"If we don't deal with father's other children they could become a problem later. You know how father was. They all hated or feared him; once they learn of his destruction, they'll want details. Most of them will want to find Raven; some to thank her, some to talk to her and some to _worship_ her." Sadira explained once again in an exasperated voice. "We can't follow the plan if our half-siblings are constantly popping in to say thanks, can we? We'll have to mislead them a little. Now are you done questioning me, or can we hurry this along?"

Azarock seemed pleased with this explanation and he clapped his pincers together in appeasement. With a swish of her cloak, Sadira turned towards the door that would lead them into the conference room. The other children of Trigon had been told to gather there. The message was spread throughout the galaxy to reach as many of Trigon's surviving offspring as possible; and there were many.

The floors were cold and made of a dark blue stone, the walls much the same. The only light came from torches that burnt an eerie blue. A spiral staircase lead down from behind the door and the twins headed down quickly; watching the spiders scramble across the cracked walls as the demons passed by.

As they vanished down into that staircase, a third demon watched them with interest. His presence had gone unnoticed by both of them, and he had learned what he needed to learn. Raven was on earth; and that is where he would have to go.

Raven had become too important. She would have to be made aware of just how important she now was; and then she would have a tough choice to make. If she chose correctly, it could mean an end to this – for good. If she chose poorly, he would have to kill her.

**

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**

The day had come, and now it was gone again. Dr. Light was behind bars at the local prison, Kitten keeping him company. The giant bug cocoon had been safely disposed of, the city's power supply was saved and none of the Titans or any civilians had been injured. It had been routine, for them anyway.

Now it was getting later in the afternoon and the Titans had spread out. Starfire and Robin had found their way to the roof of the tower. The two sat next to one another watching the sunset. A light breeze picked up and sent Starfire's hair fluttering behind her as the youths began to speak.

"Things seem normal again." Starfire said.

"Yeah, I guess they do." Robin replied. "It's nice."

"Robin?" Starfire asked. Robin's eyes flicked over towards her face. She seemed quiet; which was rarely a good thing when it came to Starfire. She was a noisy person; and silence tended to bring bad news.

"Yes?" He asked.

"While I am happy our lives are becoming normal again, I am also worried." Starfire admitted. She wasn't looking at him; another bad sign. Robin felt a tiny lump forming in his throat, and suddenly swallowing was becoming difficult.

"Worried about what Star?" He asked.

"I am worried that things will become _too_ normal. Things have been so different and so many wonderful changes have come . . . I fear that if we return to normal, we will lose those changes and –"

"Starfire, stop it." Robin said at once. "I understand what you're trying to say. You're worried that things will go back to the way they were before we went to Tamaran. They won't. I learned a lot Star, but the most important thing I learned was not to rely on routines anymore. I love you, and I'm never going to be afraid to show that again. Things are back to normal Starfire; but our definition of normal changed a little."

"Normal has changed?" Starfire asked.

Before Robin could answer, several loud voices floated up from the kitchen below them – just in time to answer her question.

"DUDE! Why did you put chicken in the Enchiladas? You know I don't eat chicken!" The first voice, Beast Boy's, called.

"I know, that's why I put it in the Enchiladas; so you wouldn't eat 'em." The second voice belonged to Cyborg, who had been in charge of dinner for the group tonight.

"Aww! Dude you suck Cyborg!"

"Settle down boys."

"But Raven! I'm a vegetarian! What am I supposed to eat for dinner now?"

"Tofu?" Cyborg teased.

"Tofu's better than some poor defenseless chicken dude."

The lights in the tower flicked on and off, and then Raven's voice was the only one that could be heard. "I said _settle down_."

Robin grinned to himself and wrapped an arm around Starfire's shoulders. "Normal hasn't changed _that_ much, Star."

**

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**

**A/N**: There you have it. I know, I know, the cliffhanger. I'm evil, what can I say? I'm going to be busy over the next few days – I have physical therapy on Friday _and_ Monday, I'm _finally_ going back to school on Tuesday, and I don't know how much time I'll have on the weekend; but I promise I'll update as soon as possible. I'll try to have the next chapter done by Monday; but it might be as long as Wednesday. Anyway; I hope you enjoyed it.


	22. Four Forty Seven am, Again

Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You

Chapter Twenty-Two

"Four-Forty Seven a.m., Again"

**A/N**: Firstly, I've decided to do "Review Replies" at the end of the chapter from now on; instead of the beginning. As for today's chapter, sorry it took longer than usual to update. I had finished it on Sunday; re-wrote it on Monday, and finally became happy with it on Tuesday. Sorry for the delay, but that's why. Also, since they've been such great readers/reviewers/stalkers, I've decided to dedicate this chapter to **Caitlyn** and **Paula**. I used to dedicated each chapter to someone when I wrote, and I realized I haven't been doing that; so I thought I'd start again. Anyway, enough of my ranting – story time!

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**

They were all thinking the same thing.

**  
**It was four-forty seven a.m. when it began. Whether that was coincidence, chance or fate; none of them ever found out. However that was the exact time the first knock hit the door of Titan's Tower; and the first sound waves began echoing off the walls, seeking out ears.

Normality had returned to Titan's Tower; the Titans had readjusted to Earth, to Jump City, and to their lives. Yes, things had changed and they would never be exactly as they had been before the trip to Tamaran; but they had become normal. Just as normal as they had been when Shady knocked on the door at four-forty seven a.m. and started this entire ordeal.

Now, after all was supposedly "said and done", there was another knock in the middle of the night; once again, at four-forty seven a.m.

Beast Boy was neither asleep or in his own room when the knocking began. He was in Raven's room, sitting on her bed, going through a box of her stuff. Normally doing something like that would have been unthinkable; but Raven was not only allowing him to do it, she was sitting right next to him while he did it.

It had been one of Beast Boy's ideas. He had talked to Raven about it that very day, and she'd surprised him by agreeing. Beast Boy was well aware that he cared for Raven deeply, she obviously returned his feelings as well; but that did not change the fact they knew very little about each other, and it did not alter the fact they were complete polar opposites personality wise.

"Raven, we've both been heartbroken before. We both know how bad that sucks. And I really don't want that to happen again. So maybe if we knew more about each other we can avoid some problems. So I went through my room and got all my old stuff, and put it in this box." At this point Beast Boy had handed her an old cardboard box filled with everything from his entire stand-up routine on cassette tapes, to an old teddy bear, to his comic book collection. "So like, you can go through all this stuff, cause it's stuff I like. And maybe I could go through your stuff? I won't mess with anything dangerous! And who knows, maybe we'll find something we both like, y'know?"

Raven had agreed, and it made Beast Boy grin. He had half-expected a battle over the idea; he assumed he'd have to beg to get his way. He had been wrong. Not only had she allowed him to go through her stuff (he was told to stay away from her spellbooks, though, just as he had expected) but now she was actually listening to one of his old comedy tapes on cassette. (His old cassette player was in the box too, and Raven had taken advantage of it.)

Raven had a small smile on her face; and she was struggling to hide it.

"I see you, you know. You're laughing at my jokes! I _knew_ it! You do think I'm funny." Beast Boy couldn't hold his tongue. Raven rolled her eyes at him as she shut off the cassette player and took the headphones off.

"I was laughing, but not at the jokes." Raven tossed him the headphones and Beast Boy wasted no time in securing them over his big green ears. When Raven turned the cassette player back on, Beast Boy sighed in defeat.

"Dude, I didn't know _this_ tape was in there. I made it when I was like seven, of course it sucks." Beast Boy took the headphones off and set them down on the bed.

"You're voice when you were seven; now that can make me laugh." Raven replied.

"Harsh Rae. Very harsh." Beast Boy responded with a frown. She shook her head in amusement and then returned to the cardboard box in front of her. Beast Boy went back to rooting through her room on his own exploration.

Then something caught his eye. It was a small jewelry box sitting on Raven's nightstand, next to her mirror. A jewelry box in a teenage girl's room was hardly a common sight – for normal people. Raven did not fit into that category. Beast Boy had never once seen her wear jewelry; he never even entertained the notion that she owned jewelry. Which raised an interesting question, if Raven never wore jewelry; what was in that small black box?

Beast Boy reached for it; then he stopped. The box was normal looking; and the mirror next to it was normal looking. Beast Boy knew, however, that the mirror was far from normal. It was portal into Raven's mind, it was her tool to communicate with her emotions; and it was proof that 'normal' looking things could be very dangerous if found in Raven's room.

Opening the jewelry box was probably a bad idea. He should at least ask Raven about it first. That was a smart, mature, respectful thing to do.

Of course, if he asked her, she might say no. Then he wouldn't know what was in the box; and that would drive him crazy. Beast Boy bit his bottom lip and began to chew on it as he attempted to rationalize the situation. On the one hand, curiosity killed the cat. So he'd just have to make sure he did not transform into a cat for a few days, that's all.

Beast Boy had the jewelry box in his hands, he was ready to lift the lid; and then the knocking began, right at four-forty seven a.m. Beast Boy quickly pocketed the jewelry box out of habit and then turned himself around on the bed so he was facing the bedroom door. Raven was also staring at the door; apparently unaware of Beast Boy or the box.

"What was that?" Beast Boy asked.

"Sounded like the front door." Raven replied. She turned her head to the clock on her nightstand and one of her eyebrows rose on her head. "A bit late for visitors, don't you think?"

Raven stood up and began walking towards the door. Beast Boy wasted no time in stopping her. He transformed into a humming bird, flew past her head, and then became his normal self once again right inside the doorway. Raven stopped just in front of him and did not waste time with words; she merely gave him a look that clearly said: "What are you doing?"

"Raven, stop. Don't answer the door."

"Why?"

"Hello-ooooo? Don't you remember what happened last time someone knocked on the door in the middle of the night?" Beast Boy asked, waving his arms around frantically. Beast Boy was referring to Shady's initial visit; the visit that had started everything.

Raven sighed. "Beast Boy, move."

Beast Boy shook his head. "No way dude, bad stuff happens when we answer the door in the middle of the night."

Raven narrowed her eyes, but asked him in a softer voice. "Please move."

Beast Boy remained steadfast. "Rae, trust me, answering the door is a mistake."

"Move." This time Raven's voice was anything but soft; and it was anything but a request.

"Rav-eeeeeeeeen!" Beast Boy hadn't even finished saying her name when the a black aura surrounded him and he found himself thrown backwards across the room. He landed safely on the bed (Raven hadn't tried to hurt him), but he had still been moved. Beast Boy quickly jumped up to try to stop Raven; but the door was already open and the Goth had vanished.

"Oh weak." Beast Boy sprinted from the bed and ran into the hallway. He hurried down the hallway to the top of the stairs that lead into the living room; where he had to skid to a halt to stop from crashing into Raven's back. Beast Boy was about to open his mouth to speak to her, when he noticed two things. One, she was obviously not opening the door; and two, Starfire and Robin were making an even bigger scene.

Beast Boy looked down into the living room and realized that the knocking had waked up all five Titans. Cyborg was standing at the other end of the staircase, also staring at the scene unfolding in the middle of the living room. Robin was halfway to the front door; and Starfire was latched around his shoulders trying to hold him back. Of course, Starfire was winning.

"Star, let me go. We _have_ to answer the door." Robin panted as he struggled in her grip.

"No! Do you not remember Shadarias and the last time this happened?" Starfire responded.

"Dude, what I tell ya Rae! I'm not so crazy! Starfire agrees with me!" Beast Boy pointed out.

"Yeah, and we all know Starfire's a rational person." Raven's witty reply snapped back. She'd admit it was a strange coincidence; but that's all it was. Someone was knocking on the door now. Shady had knocked on the door once, and that had begun the entire ordeal. The ordeal was over now; and there was no reason to believe that whatever was knocking on the door this time would be anything at all like last time.

"Starfire, it could be important!" Robin tried to reason.

"Starfire, let him get the door. Please." Raven asked, irritation creeping into her voice.

"Star, don't let him anywhere near the door!" Beast Boy shouted loudly.

"Starfire. I. Need. To. Open. That. Door!" Robin was struggling against his alien girlfriend's arms, but he wasn't strong enough to break her grip. He was speaking through gritted teeth now as he pushed with every last ounce of strength in his body – which was nothing compared to the Tamaranian.

"Dick Grayson I can hear your voice; now open this door!"

All five of the Titans froze instantly. The knocking had stopped; and shouting had taken its place. The voice was loud, female, and it knew Robin by his given name. After a moment of shocked silence, all eyes whipped around to Robin.

"We're not in any danger." Robin announced. Starfire's grip around him loosened and he slipped out and began walking towards the door, slowly. He had recognized the voice in an instant; and he had formed a million questions since then. He now knew who was at the other side of the door, he just didn't know why – and he wasn't in a hurry to find out.

Robin opened the front door of Titan's tower; and the moment he did a redheaded woman pushed her way inside and began looking around the tower as if she was searching for someone in hiding. She looked to be slightly older than most of the Titans – perhaps closer to Raven's age (18) than the others. Her hair was a bright red and it flowed down her back, and she was wearing a trenchcoat. Shady had been wearing a trenchcoat. That was just another strange coincidence – or at least Robin was hoping so.

"Where is he, Dick?" The redhead asked as she turned back around to face Robin.

It was a strange sight. The unknown redhead was standing in the center of the living room, with Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy and Cyborg forming a semi-circle behind her, each of them wearing a different expression. Beast Boy and Cyborg looked completely confused – and they were. Starfire had a strangely calm face; something about an attractive redhead with a mysterious connection to her boyfriend showing up in the middle of the night didn't set well with her. Raven had a blank stare on her face, but her eyes told a different story. She knew more than the others did.

"Where is who, Babs?" Robin asked.

"Bruce. Last time anyone saw him was with you. So where is he?" The woman – 'Babs' – replied.

"_What_?" Robin's attention was full and undivided now; as was that of all the other Titans. "Bruce left a few days after we got back, Babs. I haven't seen or spoken to him since."

The woman – Babs – closed her eyes for a moment. It was as if she had already known this, but was only now receiving proof. There was a pause. Then Babs spoke again, this time in a hollow, grim voice. "Bruce never came back to Gotham. I . . . I thought he was still with you."

Babs shook her head and began walking back towards the front door. "Sorry I woke you up, Dick. I have to head back and tell dad –"

"Hold on." Robin said instantly. He turned away from Babs and towards his fellow Titans – although he didn't need too. He opened his mouth to speak, but Raven was too quick for him.

"Let me guess; you're going to go to Gotham and help look for Bruce?"

"I have too." Robin confirmed.

"We know dude." Beast Boy nodded.

"And we are going to come with you." Starfire added.

"Thanks Star."

By now the woman known only as Babs had taken to leaning against the door with an amused smile on her face – she had expected this to a certain degree.

"Can I ask just one question?" Cyborg piped up.

"Oh, right." Babs shook her head. "I'm Barbara Gordon; friend of Dick's from Gotham. Guess I forgot the introduction earlier."

Cyborg nodded. "Never mind."

"I guess I'd better go pack then." Raven announced before she turned and silently floated back towards her room. In reality, she was not worried about packing her things; she was worried about something else. A problem she could see even before it started. She'd seen this problem forming ages ago, and she'd even talked to Robin about it – but he'd ignore her advice then, and may have to pay for that now.

"I think we'd all better go pack." Robin replied, and one by one, the Titans hurried off to their rooms, all of them, except for Starfire. She stayed in the living room staring at Barbara Gordon with her eyes half narrowed. Babs noticed this and quirked one of her eyes.

"Can I help you?" Babs asked bluntly.

"Oh no, forgive me. I am just . . . curious about Robin's friends." Starfire replied in a quiet voice. "He has never mentioned you before."

Barbara's lips curved into a tiny smile, and her eyebrow remained raised. "Really? That's surprising. Well, I'm sure he had his reasons."

"Yes." Starfire replied, still speaking quietly. "I am sure he had them."

Starfire turned around and floated up the stairs towards her bedroom; she was going to pack quickly and then she was going to go see Robin.

**

* * *

**

Robin was in his room, packing. The suitcase on the bed was messy, sloppy and poorly packaged; it did not look like something Robin would have done. That is because Robin was preoccupied with other thoughts. Bruce's disappearance was bad news for everyone; and Robin felt responsible. His mentor – father – had vanished sometime after he left Jump City. He vanished before he reached Gotham – which meant if he was dead; it was Robin's fault; because he never would have been wherever he was when he vanished if not for his visit to Jump.

Then there was another issue. Barbara was here. Starfire was here. They were both here – together. Robin closed his eyes.

"I warned you."

Robin sighed as Raven's voice reached his ears.

"Warned me about what?" The boy wonder asked as he continued packing.

"When you were packing for our trip to Tamaran; I asked you if you had told Starfire _everything_." Raven reminded him. Robin sighed in remembrance. "You told me 'everything was more than I realized'. I offered to help then, and you turned me down. I'm offering again now."

Robin sighed and turned around. "Look, I had a thing for Barbara. We were never a couple . . . not officially anyway. It was a long time ago, and I'm in love with Starfire now. It's not a big deal."

"Wrong Robin, it _is_ a big deal. Because Starfire doesn't know about it; and she won't like finding out about it." Raven replied.

"Nothing ever happened between Babs and I!" Robin insisted once again, raising his voice this time.

"Would that matter to you if a guy Starfire used to like showed up here asking to see her?" Raven replied. Robin suddenly became very quiet. "My point exactly; and there's one more thing – does Barbara know you're in love with Starfire?"

Robin sighed. "I can't deal with this right now Raven. I have to focus on finding and helping Bruce."

Raven laughed. "Don't try to run from matters like these Robin. You can't escape them. Trust me."

"I do trust you Raven." Robin replied. "And I trust you'll keep this conversation to yourself, and let me deal with things my own way?"

"It's your life, and your choice. Just . . . don't make yourself miserable if you don't have too. That's a lesson I learned the hard way." Raven lowered her voice and then turned towards the door.

"Thanks Raven." Robin said quietly. Raven was one of few people who Robin felt could truly understand him. It was nice to have a friend like her; although sometimes it became a hassle. Still, he knew she was right. He needed to talk to Starfire, and he should do it soon.

He knew he would have to talk to her about it; that was evident. However, it would have to wait until they found Bruce. His missing mentor was more important.

Right?

**

* * *

**

The gathering was nearly completed.

At the base of the spiral staircase from Trigon's throne room lays a vast chamber known as "the Playroom". Under Trigon's reign, this was his torture hall. Whenever his slaves would act up, rebel or try to run away; he would take them here and play with them. The floors were made of cruel, cold stone; as were the walls. The only decorations were bones and bloodstains, aside from the blue-burning torches that illuminated the horrors. It was a vast chamber, and the perfect place for the gathering of Trigon's children.

Never before had so many of them been in one place at one time. Half-demons had piled into the room, coming from planets and dimensions unknown to answer the same nagging question; what happened to Trigon? Some of them had known their father, others had only heard of his reputation. They were all so different – and yet they shared so much in common.

The first thing they shared was their father. Each of them had been sired by Trigon. Their mothers were other stories. Some had been members of one of the crazy cults that worshiped Trigon, others had been unwilling brides or slaves that Trigon had taken during his many conquests and others had been the results of one of Trigon's marriages. Whoever their mother had been; and whatever species she had belonged too; there were only two presence who had full-demon blood – Azarock and Sadira.

The rest, like Raven, were half-demons. Still, each of them _did_ have the blood of Trigon of Terrible; and at some extent, his powers. Some could control the powers better than others could, and none of them inherited the same thing. There was a large, fish-like creature in the corner who continued to fire beams from his eyes out of anger as he cursed in his native language about the wait. A second child, who one looked like a man (if men had four arms, six legs and orange skin, that is) and dressed in chain mail, was attempting to calm him down, but with no success. Finally, the chain-mail wearer shook his head, allowing his dark red hair to flap behind him, and he turned away.

There were hundreds of them; each one as different as the next. Aside from sharing a common father in Trigon, and from having some form of his powers, they all had one last thing in common. They were all losing patience at the waiting. Some of them had traveled a very long way in a very short amount of time to be here; so they could know for sure. Each of them had felt Trigon's death – or what they assumed was his death – and they had questions. Their minds were free from Trigon, their powers and their emotions had become their own. They all concluded that Trigon must be dead for this to happen – and now they all wanted to know why, how; and most important of all; who had done it?

Of course, packing several hundred impatient half-demons in a room together and then expecting them to wait around peacefully and quietly is generally a rotten idea. Fights were starting to break out in the group. Several of them had already been injured; a few were dead. Nothing full-scale yet, but it was only a matter of time before the gathering became a bloodbath.

That is why Sadira chose to speak up now. She made her way out into the center of the room, shoving past those who got in her way. In the dead center of the room was a small red circle carved into the ground. It was an ancient rune. She bent down low and brushed her fingers across the edges of the rune, and then she stood in the center. A moment later, there was a red glow and the circle began to rise into the air slowly. It had become a stone platform that pushed its way out of the ground and into the sky; grabbing the attention of almost everyone as it did so.

"Brothers and sisters! Your attention! The time has come for you to receive the answers you seek!" Sadira's voice was like bloodstained velvet; soft and seductive – but haunting at the same time. She did not speak loud, but somehow she managed to capture the attention of everyone in the room and the conversations, arguments and curses that had been muttered in the vastness all fell into silence.

"Since we all share the burden of being Trigon's children; I won't waste time with the obvious. You are here because you woke up eighteen days ago unable to feel any connection to our father in the slightest. Undoubtedly, your powers, emotions and way of life have been affected somehow. Most of you have reached the conclusion that this change is impossible as long as Trigon is alive; and so it is. The fact of the matter is this; Trigon the Terrible is dead."

The silence was broken. No one bothered to hide anything. Many of them cheered and celebrated the news in any way they could think of. Some stood flabbergasted, shocked that such a thing was even possible. A few looked horrified; scared of what this meant for them. No one seemed mad or sad by this announcement.

"Calm down." Sadira ordered softly. She did not raise her voice; and while it seemed impossible to hope they would even hear him over the noise, much less obey her; they did. Every person stopped their celebrating and fell into silence. "As I was saying; Trigon the Terrible is dead. Of course, it was not by natural causes. One of his children killed him."

"Who?" The half-demon, half-fish-monster shouted.

"Why do you need to know?" Sadira inquired.

"I want to thank them." The fish-monster replied.

"What is the point of that?" This is where her plan began. Sadira had to choose her words carefully; she needed this part of the plan to go flawlessly. "Your thanks would only remind them of the pain and suffering they had to go through to destroy him. You won't be thanking them, you'll be hurting them. Is that what you want?"

The fish-monster fell silence. She had given him – and the others – something to think about.

"Why not just move on with your lives? Be free and happy away from Trigon.

Dwelling on the past will not help you – and it will not thank the one that destroyed him."

As she spoke her sweet words, the crowd listened. Something about her, perhaps her voice, perhaps the way she spoke, or perhaps some logic to her words, moved the crowd. It caused them all to agree with her and obey her. Not a single one of them could think of any reason why they needed too – or even wanted – to meet the person who had killed Trigon.

Sadira's voice was very persuasive.

Azarock was still on the ground, in the crowd; and he was trying hard not to laugh. Of course, he was already aware of the hypnotic charm of his sister's voice. Lesser lifeforms – which to Azarock meant anything but a pureblooded demon – fell victim to her voice easily. They would follow her 'suggestions', because deep down inside they didn't have a voice. It wasn't mind control; and hypnosis wouldn't be the right word – but it was close to both.

At the base of the spiral staircase stood the third demon. He too was pureblooded; and unaffected by the voice of Sadira. He had been watching them before; fully aware of the secret agenda they were hatching and their plans involving Raven. This demon was tall and human-like. His skin was a pale white and his shoulder-length hair was midnight blue. He wore a deep crimson cloak and hood, which covered his usual attire. His clothing was black beneath the cloak, save only his gloves and boots, which were the same crimson shade as his cloak. He also wore a belt made of a leather-like substance, and upon that belt hung two dangerous weapons. A small knife was sheathed away at his right hip; and a leather whip was curled at his left.

"You truly desire it, don't you Sadira?" The demon whispered. "I admire that kind of dedication; but you cannot have it. It belongs to Raven now; although she can't keep it either. I'm curious to see how this all plays out."

Turning around with a swish of his cloak, the demon proceeded back up the spiral staircase. Soon Sadira and Azarock would be finished here; and they would head to Earth to find Raven. He would wait for them there. There was no point in revealing himself – or his allegiance – early. He knew that Sadira and Azarock would fail in their plan. Raven had killed Trigon; she could deal with them. Of course, he would be watching as well. Raven was strong, but he had to be sure she knew of the burden she had to bear. A horrible burden.

They did not know it, none of them did. Only the demon – Magus – knew the truth about it. He was the only one who knew the truth about the evil now growing inside Raven, the evil that longed for a chance to return to this world and bring all the fury of hell back with it.

The same evil had lived inside Trigon the Terrible.

Now it was living in his daughter.

**

* * *

**


	23. Exes, Exes Everywhere

Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Exes, Exes Everywhere."

A/N: Big thanks to everyone who reviewed; once again my replies are at the bottom. This chapter's going to be dedicated to the person who left the first review of Chapter 23, as well as many others in the past. scathac's warrior, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I also hope everyone else enjoys it too.

* * *

Bruce Wayne was a prisoner.

He had only just woken up, but his senses kicked in automatically. He could not see; the slits of his mask were covered by some kind of blindfold. His head hurt him a lot – and judging from the cold sensation on the back of his neck, he was probably bleeding somewhere on the back of it. Someone had knocked him over the head with something heavy, apparently. His hands and feet were tied; tightly. Too tightly for him to wiggle his way out of the ropes; and they were thick, he'd be unable to get rid of them by rubbing them against the wall until friction sawed them apart.

None of the cliché movie tricks would work here, it seemed. He was a prisoner. That was bad. He was also in a sewer – or somewhere very similar to one. He guessed this because he felt rushing water on his lower half. Occasionally he'd heard what sounded like rats, and debris would rush past him in the water. In addition, it smelled like sewage – which was a dead giveaway.

The last thing he remembered was being on his way back to Gotham. He was following the police van that was transporting the Joker and Harley Quinn from Jump's local prison, where they had been incarcerated after the famous "Doug" incident; to Gotham's famed Arkham Asylum. Batman had wanted to be there when the Joker was taken back to Arkham – he always wanted to be there; especially when the Joker was involved.

"I see you're awake, Bats."

Speak of the devil. Bruce now knew who his captor was.

"A sewer? Not exactly glamorous Harley."

He couldn't see her, but Bruce knew Harley Quinn's voice. He also had a pretty good idea of what happened. The Joker and Harley must have escaped on the way to Gotham – and Batman must have been taken down while trying to stop them. Now he was in real trouble.

"You're good Bats." Harley replied. "I don't like it down here; but Mr. J has his reasons for picking this place."

"I don't supposed you'd be kind enough to share them with me, would you Harley?" Bruce asked, sarcastically. Harley responded by kicking him hard in the ribs. Bruce recoiled in pain, but he refused to wipe the smirk off his face.

"Just you wait. It won't be long before Mr. J's ready. Then we're going to have some real fun." Harley's voice was dripping with depraved excitement.

"Let me guess, this 'real fun' will involve my untimely demise?" Bruce asked once again.

"Eventually." Harley's voice became even wetter with deranged glee. "But first we're going to get some friends together and have a big party."

Now Bruce was starting to worry. "Friends?"

"Well, they're more _our_ friends than yours; but you know them all. It's going to be a great party, really Bats. Then we're going to have a big raffle; with three very big prizes."

"Oh really? Do I even have to ask?" Bruce knew what was coming.

"Nope. Each of the three winners will be very happy. The first gets to kill Jimbo here." Harley kicked something sitting to Bruce's right. A moment later he heard a man's voice; groaning in pain. Bruce recognized the voice as that of Police Commissioner James Gordon. Wayne hadn't realized there was someone else in the sewer. Jim Gordon was a hostage too; and a friend. He was also one more reason why Bruce had to think of a way to escape.

"The second place winner gets the right to kill you, of course." Harley continued.

"I'm only second place? How disappointing." Bruce replied.

"No, _killing_ you is second place. The grand prize winner gets to do something even better. They get to be the one to take that annoying mask off your face before the bullet goes in your head." Harley snapped.

Bruce laughed. "Unmasking Batman is better than killing him, eh?"

"Sure. Because whoever gets to unmask you will know who you are; and they'll get to kill your family. Isn't that always the best, Bats?"

Bruce's sarcastic smile finally faded. "You're a little late, Harley."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Harley demanded; her voice was no longer amused. She sounded like a spoiled child who had just dropped her ice cream cone and was told she couldn't have another one.

Bruce didn't answer. She kicked him again. He stayed quiet.

Bruce merely had to wait. He knew people would be out looking for him. He didn't know how long he'd been down here for; but odds were Alfred and Tim were either worried already; or would be soon. And since Jim was with him, the police were missing their leader. The vigilante Batman could disappear for a few days, weeks even, and no one would be too worried; but the Commissioner of Police was another matter. The cops would be looking for him.

Unfortunately, the cops were no match for the Joker. If they were, there never would have been a need for Batman in the first place. He'd just have to keep himself – and Jim – alive until Alfred and the others could find him; or until he could find a chance to get out of these ropes.

He was half right – Alfred, Tim and Barbara were worried about him. However, he never would have expected them to go to Dick Grayson and the Teen Titans for help.

But of course, they already had.

* * *

Robin had almost finished packing, although from the messy state of his suitcase it looked more like something Beast Boy would have done. The single, large suitcase lay open on his bed; things crammed inside it messily. His extra costumes, a backup utility belt, and some random gadgets he thought he may need; all of the usual refineries he took with him, shoved inside sloppily. Robin was not a sloppy person. Sloppy didn't fit in with his usual personality.

Of course, 'usual' was a dangerous word. Normal was gone. It had returned for a brief spell; but now it was out the window again. Bruce's disappearance – and Barbara's appearance -- had ensured an end to normality. Gotham City was now in danger, and it was Robin's fault. Moreover, he was still paranoid about the idea of Starfire and Babs being together. It just made him . . . nervous.

The worst part was, he couldn't figure out why. Starfire loved him. He loved her. It should be simple. It should be, but it was not. He had not spoken to Barbara Gordon since he left Gotham City. Babs hadn't brought _that_ up, but Robin knew she would the second the two of them were alone together.

_I'll just have to make sure we're not alone together._ Robin thought. Hah. He had no chance. Babs would find a way to make him confront it. He just hoped she'd understand – and he hoped Starfire wouldn't make a big deal out of the entire thing. She shouldn't, after all, Robin had done nothing wrong. Starfire had not been the first girl he'd fallen in love with. There was no point in denying that – but she was the girl he loved _now_; and that's all that should be important.

He just hoped Starfire would see it that way.

_Maybe you should follow Raven's advice, and talk to Starfire now. Tell her things before she starts figuring them out on her own._ Robin was having a problem. His heart was compelling him to deal with the "Starfire Situation" right now; while his mind told him Bruce's life being in danger was a more pressing matter.

_No. I have to focus on finding Bruce. Then I'll deal with Starfire._ Robin argued with himself.

_In the meantime, Barbara and Starfire will be running around together; they aren't stupid. You know Babs. She's smart as a tack, she's probably already figured out that you and Starfire are more than just friends. How do you think she'll feel about that? And Starfire's not an idiot, Dick. She's naiveté, but she's not a idiot. She'll be able to see the history between the two of you. She'll want to know why you didn't tell her about it. She'll think it's because you still have feelings for Babs. Then she'll dislike Babs. You don't need Babs and Starfire becoming enemies. That would be bad._ Robin's heart was making a lot of sense.

_Bruce Wayne dying because I wasted time on my love life would be worse._ Robin's brain argued back.

_Oh please, he's Batman for God's sake. I think he's capable of keeping himself alive long enough for you to find him; he may even get himself out of whatever trouble he's in all on his own. You're using Bruce as an excuse._ Robin's heart still made sense; too much sense.

Fortunately, for Robin, the battle of his emotions would have to wait. His bedroom door opened and another visitor joined him. This time it was Starfire, rather than Raven, and she had a blank face. Robin only had to look at her face one time to know she knew. He didn't know how much Starfire knew, but he knew she knew there was more to Barbara Gordon than being "an old friend from Gotham."

"Robin, may I speak to you?" Starfire asked, quietly.

"Sure Starfire." Robin replied. He wasn't looking at her, instead he turned to his suitcase and began shuffling things around in a attempt to make the lid close. Under the false pretense of organizing, he could avoid her eyes. That was good.

"Robin. I am curious, is there a reason you did not mention your friend?" Starfire spoke softly. "Forgive me if I seem nosy, I just realized how little I know of your past."

Robin gulped. This was his chance. He could come clean and tell Starfire the whole story. It wouldn't be hard, and it wouldn't take long. He just . . . He couldn't. He could not bring himself to say those things to Starfire, and against his better judgment, he replied to her without thinking.

"I never really talk about my past Starfire, you know that. It's not just Barbara; there are lots of things I've never discussed with you before." Robin turned around to see her reaction. "It's not because I'm trying to hide it from you Star, I'm just not in the habit of discussing that part of my life. The time I lived in Gotham . . . Those weren't happy days, Starfire."

Starfire didn't seem pleased. She was smiling at him; but Robin could see through that smile. Her feet were fidgeting too. "Oh. I see."

There was a pause.

"Starfire?"

"Yes?" Starfire replied.

"Barbara Gordon is Batgirl. She's Jim Gordon's niece – well, daughter now, by adoption. Bruce trained us both. That's how I know her."

Starfire's eyes widened a bit, and then a huge smile spilled across her face. In her mind, it was relief. She had been worried to death that Barbara was Robin's ex-girlfriend, or something like that. It turned out she was just a fellow superhero who had trained with him. That was a completely different matter! Starfire's joy at this revelation was incontrollable, and she couldn't stop her natural reaction to such fantastic news. A moment later Robin found himself crushed in a back-breaking hug.

"Oh Robin I am delighted to hear that!" Starfire squealed while she unknowingly choked her boyfriend.

"Yeah, me too Star. Can you let me go now?" Robin gasped from her grip. Starfire released him, blushing furiously at her constant forgetfulness when it came to her alien strength.

"Forgive me Robin. I had . . . wild ideas. I shall leave you to pack now." Starfire, still grinning, floated out of his room without another word.

Robin sighed and sat down on the bed. He had chickened out. He had neglected to mention a few things about his relationship with Barbara. Like the date. He had only made the hole he was in deeper; and he was only taking more chances with Starfire's reaction when she found out _everything_.

"_Love is a dangerous thing in this business, Richard."_

Bruce had told him that once. Now Robin saw why. He'd be sure to tell Bruce just how right he had been, after they saved him; which was the priority. Robin's heart would have to come second. The 'situation' with Starfire and Babs would have to be second. He was a superhero, so saving people in danger was his job. In addition, he was a son with a missing father – and that was all that mattered for right now. He would tell Starfire everything, and he would have to talk to Barbara too – but that must wait until he knew Bruce Wayne was safe. Until he knew, his father was safe.

Robin closed the suitcase and snapped the latches; then he quickly hurried down to the garage. The garage was empty and the garage door was wide open. He could see the T-Car outside; and he could see his friends waiting for him out there as well. Robin loaded the suitcase on the back of the R-Cycle and then headed out to meet the group.

The entire group had gathered outside the open garage door, looking at a map. Cyborg had loaded everyone's luggage into the back of the T-Car already, and now he stood next to his prized automobile. Beast Boy and Raven were standing side by side across the way from Cyborg, their eyes flicking up in silence as Robin joined the group. Starfire was floating nearby; and Barbara, to Robin's relief, was standing far away from her leaning against a black-and-yellow motorcycle that he recognized as her own crime-fighting vehicle.

"We've been looking for the quickest route to Gotham." Cyborg explained as Robin joined the group. "Trying to figure out which road Bruce would have taken."

"The highway looks like the fastest way." Beast Boy piped up.

"Bruce hates traffic; he would have avoided the main roads." Barbara said quickly.

"She's right." Robin confirmed. "I'd say he would have either taken the northern most road, it leads almost directly to Gotham and few people use it since the interstate re-opened; or he'd take this –" Robin pointed out one of the routes on the map with his finger "-one. They're the fastest, and less crowded, ways back to Gotham from here."

"Two possibilities, eh?" Cyborg asked.

Raven's eyes shot from Starfire, to Barbara, and then to Robin. If they split up and the three of them wound up going together, Raven knew there would be problems. So acting quickly Raven voiced her opinion. "We should split up. Cover more ground. Robin and Barbara can each lead a team of three; in case one group gets to Gotham before the other, it would be good to have someone with some first hand experience of the city."

By making Robin and Barbara, the group leaders and knowing Starfire would insist on going with Robin's group, it would keep the problems she worried about away – at least for a little while.

"That's a good idea Raven. Then Starfire, Cyborg and I will take the northern road; you, Barbara and Beast Boy can take the other route." Robin replied, sending Raven a silent 'thank you' with his eyes.

"Aww, can I ride with Cyborg? My moped can't make it all the way to Gotham." Beast Boy instantly complained. Raven and Robin both opened their mouths to speak; but Starfire was quicker.

"You most certainly may friend Beast Boy; I shall go with Raven and Barbara's group."

"Thanks Star." Beast Boy grinned innocently; completely unaware of the chaos he was causing.

"You are most welcome." Starfire responded, before she turned her eyes to Barbara; who was already sitting on her motorcycle. Starfire wanted to be in Barbara's group. She had been curious about Robin's unmentioned friend. After talking to Robin, she no longer had the worries she once had about the nature of their relationship – now Starfire just wanted to get to know his friend.

Robin sighed. His plan had backfired very much. He hadn't told Starfire everything because he didn't want Starfire to suspect he and Barbara had ever been more than friends – and it worked, Starfire did not suspect that. What he hadn't counted on was Starfire wanting to become friends with his old friend; which would undoubtedly lead to the revelation that Robin and Barbara _had_ been more than friends. Raven had been right; he should have just gotten this over with in his room.

Now it might be too late – all because of Beast Boy.

"We had better get moving soon, the sun's going down and the search will be harder at night." Barbara pointed out.

Robin sighed. He didn't want to get moving soon – he wanted to figure out how he was going to dig himself out of the hole he'd fallen into.

"Let us go then. Robin, I will see you in Gotham." Starfire smiled at him – she still had no clue – and she kissed him quickly on the cheek. Robin's eyes flickered towards Barbara for a minute and he could tell from the look on her face that she had some questions – and he knew her well enough to know she _would_ be asking Starfire the first chance she got.

"Yeah, see you there Star." Robin did his best to cover up his nervousness.

A moment later engines roared and Barbara took off down the road on her motorcycle. Starfire took to the air and followed her, waving goodbye to Robin happily, as she did. Robin wondered if she would be as happy with him the next time they saw each other.

"Guess it's just us boys, huh Cyb-ooooooooooooorg!"

Beast Boy had begun to speak when suddenly he was lifted upside down and began floating into the air. He floated over to Raven, who looked anything but pleased with him. At once Beast Boy realized he must have made some mistake; because Raven's eyes were narrow and she looked mad.

"You and I need to have a serious talk when you get to Gotham." Raven snapped, before dropping Beast Boy roughly on the ground. "Robin, I'll do my best." She added to the boy wonder before she floated into the air and took off after Starfire and Barbara.

"DUDE! Does anyone know what her deal was?" Beast Boy asked as he lifted himself to his feet and began rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, we'll fill you in when you reach Gotham." Robin replied bitterly before revving up the R-Cycle and speeding off towards the northern road. He would have been a lot angrier if Bruce's life was not still on the line.

Beast Boy shook his head. "Cy, I think those two went a little crazy."

"And I think you're a little clueless. See you in Gotham." Cyborg said before shutting the door of the T-Car and following Robin down the road. Beast Boy opened his mouth to speak; but Cyborg was already gone.

"HEY! I was supposed to ride with you dude!" Beast Boy shouted; but it was too late. Cyborg had done that on purpose – which only furthered Beast Boy's annoyance. His moped wasn't up for the journey, so he'd have to get there using animal form. He hated to imagine how tired he would be when the trip was over with and he arrived in Gotham.

However, as soon as Beast Boy was standing there alone, something happened that put all his other worries out of his mind. A voice spoke from somewhere behind him.

"Raven doesn't treat you very well, does she Beast Boy?"

Beast Boy's blood ran cold. The voice was female. Beast Boy recognized it in a heartbeat's time. However, he knew he must have heard wrong. Even though he knew that voice well, and even though he had, an animal's senses when it came to hearing – it just couldn't be her.

"Then again, I didn't treat you very well either."

Beast Boy's body felt numb; his brain felt numb. Part of him wanted to turn around and see with his own eyes; but part of him wanted to run and scream and never look back – he didn't even want to think about what it would mean if he was right.

Slowly, very slowly, Beast Boy turned around. His eyes widened, his mouth fell open in shock, and he began to shake from head to toe. This was impossible. He had been right – he recognized that voice. Now he wished he had ran away; but instead all he could do was utter a single word in a terrified voice.

"T-T-Terra?"

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**A/N**: This chapter is a bit shorter than usual; but it is also the second update in two days. I could have made it longer, but honestly I wanted to end it _exactly_ where I ended it. Well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I hope the cliffhanger wasn't _too_ evil, I hope you'll leave a review or two, and I hope most of all that you'll come back for more – cause I'm gonna write more ASAP. 


	24. Terra Tells A Story, Barbara Tells A Sec...

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

"Terra Tells A Story; Barbara Tells A Secret"

**A/N**: I realize the last chapter was a lot shorter than usual; but I really wanted to end it the way I did, and couldn't think of any way to make it longer differently. Anyway, this chapter shall be dedicated to **Thoughtdisease**; for two reasons. One, you were cool enough to read and review this story even after it had been going on for so long. I thank you for that. And two; it was something you said in your gigantic review that helped me get over my writer's block – and for that, I **_REALLY_** thank you. And I thank all the rest of you who have read this story too; so now I'll thank you all by ending these annoying notes and starting the story!

-This chapter was edited on 4/24/05 for typos and spelling mistakes-

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**

Beast Boy stood in a trance. He could not think, nor could he move. It was like every vessel of blood that had been in transit to his brain was suddenly frozen in his veins. His eyes saw her, but the rest of him refused to believe it. Terra could not be here. It was impossible. Terra was in the past – he had accepted that a long time ago and he had moved on.

However, as impossible as it seemed, there was no mistaking her.

Terra was standing in front of him; alive and well. Her face was the same; her blonde hair was the same. She was dressed strangely – she wore what looked like some kind of hospital gown. However, since she'd been dressed like Slade's apprentice the last time Beast Boy had seen her; this was an vast improvement. It had to be Terra; there was no other explanation.

"Been a while, huh Beast Boy?" Terra offered him a smile; but it was weak and filled with nerves. A moment later Terra broke down and threw herself on the ground at Beast Boy's feet, wrapping her arms around his legs. "Please just hear me out! I know what you're probably thinking, but I didn't know where else to go! I know you have no reason to trust me; but I need help and I just hoped . . ."

She trailed off. Terra's stopped speaking and instead she buried her head in Beast Boy's knees, sobbing. Beast Boy wasn't sure if he should scream, or try to comfort her. He was still in such a state of shock just from seeing Terra that he could hardly process any of this. Beast Boy was not a thinker; he was a dreamer. It was hard for logic to pierce his skull and reach his brain. All he could handle for the moment was the image of Terra hugging his knees and sobbing like a frightened child.

"T-Terra? How, I mean, you, Slade, and I, no way. This is, you can't be, I saw you, and there was, and you, I mean – " Beast Boy shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again and found a teary-eyed Terra staring up at him, he finally found some words. "Can you explain?"

Terra released his legs and backed up. She was staring at him now; her eyes locked with his. Beast Boy felt cold. There was something strange about Terra's eyes. They seemed . . . different. Granted, it had been a long, long time since he last looked into her eyes – but they had been so different then. Terra's eyes always had quiet warmth to them. Even when she had been betraying him to Slade, Beast Boy had seen warmth in her eyes. Now however, all he was darkness and a extreme cold stare. It reminded him more of Trigon than Terra.

"I . . . I don't know." Terra said quietly, tearing her eyes away from his and instead looking down at herself. "I remember everything up to the fight with Slade . . . then nothing until a few weeks ago. I woke up. I was in a laboratory of some kind. There were these scientists there, running tests on me. I was strapped to a bed and they would just keep poking me with needles and hooking me up to strange machines all day. I was scared Beast Boy. For a few days, I was just a lab experiment to them. And then one day I woke up and they were dead. All of them. It was horrible. Something ripped them apart. But I was alive . . . and I wasn't strapped to the bed anymore."

"What killed them?" Beast Boy asked instantly; a blend of concern and suspicion in his voice.

Terra shook her head. "I don't know; and I don't know why whoever, or whatever, killed them didn't kill me too. All I know is I was scared. So I used my powers and broke free. I was in Metropolis, it turned out. Anyway, I knew I couldn't stay there. I was so confused and scared . . . so I came here. I thought you guys would know what to do with me . . . but when I got here, you all were gone. So I waited, y'know? I went to . . ." Terra paused and nibbled on her lip. She sighed and continued. "I went to stay in one of Slade's old hideouts. I didn't know where else to go, and I thought his surveillance equipment might still be in place. Then I'd know when you all got back."

"So you wake up in a secret lab in Metropolis and they run tests on you, then one day all the scientists are killed by something that also happens to free you before disappearing, and then you decide to go crash at one of Slade's old hideouts?" Beast Boy summed up her story in a voice that dripped with suspicion.

"I know how it sounds." Terra whispered. "But it's the truth. I don't care if you believe me or not. I didn't kill those scientists, Beast Boy, and I don't know why I didn't die with them."

Beast Boy sighed. "That . . . I'm sorry. I just . . ."

"Don't. You have every right to distrust every word coming out of my mouth." Terra announced. "And I won't blame you if you don't want to help me, or if you don't believe me. Just let me finish explaining."

"Okay Terra, go ahead."

"I stayed in Slade's old lair, just waiting. I couldn't figure out where you guys were. Slade had surveillance equipment in his lair, of the tower, so I sat and watched it all day. Finally I saw a spaceship land, and all of you got out of it. I was going to come to the tower then and ask for help but . . . you all looked so different. It was like you'd just gotten back from hell and you were relieved to have survived."

"Something like that." Beast Boy confirmed; he remembered the return from Tamaran. It really had been a wonderful feeling to return home. Of course, if Terra had been watching then she would have already seen some of the changes right off the bat.

"And . . ." Terra paused as she searched for the right words. "I saw things that made me think it would be a bad idea for me to just show up."

"Things?" Beast Boy asked, although in his gut he already knew what she was referring too.

"I saw you, and you looked happy . . . and I saw Raven, and she was happy too. I thought I'd make you both miserable if I turned up." Terra admitted, looking down at her shoes. "I mean, you and I, well, you were there, you know what I mean, and Raven and I never really got along so . . ."

"Yeah, yeah okay I see your point." Beast Boy nodded. He closed his eyes. What was he doing? This was all . . . confusing. Terra was here; alive. There had been a time in his life when this moment would have been a dream coming true – now it seemed more like a nightmare. He loved Raven now. He once had feelings for Terra, very real, very strong feelings. He'd let them go a long time ago, he'd moved on, and he'd found love in Raven. Still, he couldn't forget about the past – and seeing Terra now was proof of only one thing – Beast Boy had horrible timing.

"Beast Boy, I'm not asking you to be my friend, and I'm not asking you to forgive me. I just . . . need help. I don't know where else to go." Terra said, interrupting his thoughts.

Beast Boy honestly didn't know what he should do. One the one hand, Terra was Terra. She didn't realize it, but she had been an important part of Beast Boy's life. Not because he'd dated her at one point – but because she'd taught him a valuable lesson. It was hard to explain, but Beast Boy understood how important she had been. She had been his friend – and his enemy. She had been his lover, and she had broken his heart. After the ordeal with Terra had ended, Beast Boy had matured. He no longer faced life without worries or cares. He stayed the carefree jokester of the team – that had not changed; but he had developed a maturity about him that could kick in when needed.

He'd developed that maturity from losing Terra; and that maturity was a key part of his romance with Raven. Beast Boy had _always_ liked Raven. Before he met Terra, he had liked Raven. When Terra had been one of them; he had still liked Raven – of course he'd also liked Terra, and of the two of them, only Terra had liked him back. Before the ordeal with Terra; Beast Boy's chances with her had been nonexistence. Dating Raven required some level of maturity – even if it wasn't much. In a funny way, if it had not been for his heartbreaking experience with Terra, Beast Boy had a feeling he never could have won Raven's heart.

Looking at it from that perspective, Beast Boy should be thanking Terra. Of course he wouldn't do that – how can you thank a person for betraying you, breaking your heart, and then dying (or at least appearing to die)? He'd have to thank her in a different way. He'd have to help her – which meant he had only one real option.

"Listen Terra, I'm clueless. I don't know how I can help you -- but maybe Robin can. He's the plan guy, he's bound to think of something. I've got to go to Gotham City to meet up with the others . . . you can come with me, if you want too." Beast Boy offered quietly.

"Won't that be . . . trouble?" Terra asked quietly.

"Terra, you did some horrible things to us." Beast Boy said bluntly. "But you also saved us from Slade; and you need help – and you are a Titan. You know everyone; do you really think they'll turn you away?"

Terra shook her head. "That isn't what I mean. If I go with you, won't that be trouble for you? I don't think Raven will like seeing me again – and I know she won't like seeing you show up with me."

Beast Boy shrugged. "I don't know Terra, Raven might surprise you. I mean, she only hated you so much after you betrayed us because she _liked_ you so much beforehand. As for Raven and me, well, _I love her_, and she knows it."

Terra looked up at Beast Boy and smiled. "Thanks Beast Boy. I guess . . . I guess I will go with you; and hope you're right."

"I hope I'm right too. Now how about helping me figure out _how_ we're going to get all the way to Gotham?" Beast Boy asked.

Terra balled one of her fists; a moment later a large chuck of the rock broke away from the ground and began to float in mid-air. Terra didn't say a word, she merely allowed a smile to drift onto her face. Beast Boy shrugged and climbed on board the floating chuck of earth.

"Dude, this'll work."

Quickly Beast Boy and Terra climbed aboard the hunk of earth and shot off into the air and down the road towards Gotham. In truth, Beast Boy knew he might be making a mistake. Trusting Terra; taking her to see the other Titans – it could all be one huge mistake, or it could be a blessing. He still felt like he owed his relationship with Raven to Terra; so he'd repay her for that. Besides, she needed help – and she _was_ a Titan. In the end, she'd fought against Slade. She'd proven she was a Teen Titan; no matter what.

There were reasons for, and reasons against, helping her.

Beast Boy chose to help. He just hoped Raven wouldn't get the wrong idea.

**

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**

A small light flashed on the monitor. Doctor Cobalt watched in satisfaction.

The laboratory had not been damaged in the assault. True, all of the scientists who had been working on the Terra Project were dead now; but they were just people. Scientists were a dime-a-dozen, they could be replaced as easily as toilet paper. A girl from the Markov bloodline was a different story. Tara Markov or Terra as she called herself, had disappeared after the massacre. Dr. Cobalt almost had a breakdown when he first heard the news. He had assumed Terra died with his staff – which would have been a real disaster.

However, he got lucky. Terra had somehow escaped. Which meant Cobalt could find her – and now he believed he had. The monitor he was looking at was measured seismic activity. The flashing light showed some kind of strange seismic activity in Jump City – just outside the Teen Titan's tower.

That wasn't coincidence. That was Terra.

"Going back to your old friends?" Cobalt breathed, talking to himself. Dr. Philip Cobalt was now forty-seven years old; his hair was bright red, his skin a pasty white and freckles covered his forehead and cheeks. His eyes, a deep navy blue, watched the screen with a hungry stare. He knew he'd have to move fast. If Terra rejoined the Titans, it would make things much harder. Superheroes, after all, are Superheroes.

Then again, Cobalt's boss was used to superheroes. Dr. Cobalt had never been personally involved in those matters; he'd always been on the legit end of his boss's corporation until a few months ago. That's when the boss had caught Cobalt embezzling from the company to fund his twisted human research – and the boss had been so impressed he'd made a deal with him. Cobalt could head up the Terra Project, or he would be arrested. Cobalt chose the Terra Project – and he loved every minute of it. What could be more fun than stealing Terra's trapped body, bringing her back, and then draining her blood so they could harness her powers? An army of soldiers, each with abilities like Terra's, working for his boss; and Cobalt would be responsible for it all.

He knew his boss – that army would be used for evil. Cobalt didn't mind; as long as he got the scientific recognition for his research.

Cobalt stopped thinking about all of this. These were all possibilities – but until he found Terra, and drained her body of it's precious blood, he could do nothing. She was last of the Markov's; she would have to be the one they used. If Cobalt failed – if he didn't get her blood from Terra; he would die. That was the downside of working for his boss.

No matter. He _had_ found Terra. There was no other explanation for the seismic readings outside Titan's Tower. Now he just needed to track her – which would be easy, since he'd personally implanted a homing beacon inside Terra's body. He hadn't been able to use the beacon before now; because the range was too thin. He could spend all day aiming his expensive satellites at different areas, hoping to get lucky. Now, however, that he knew she was near Jump City; he may be able to get a lock on the beacon – and once he got that lock he'd never lose track of Terra again.

Quickly he ran across the room and punched up the satellite codes on the computer. With all the speed of an Olympic athlete, Cobalt punched in the keys on the computer and brought up a satellite map of Jump City. He began searching – and it paid off. A tiny blinking light appeared; he'd gotten the signal. Now he could find Terra wherever she went – which meant he'd not only saved his job, but his life as well.

He watched. Terra was leaving Jump City. Cobalt didn't know where she intended to go – only that she would never reach her destination.

Now he just needed to call his boss and let him know. Hastily, Cobalt extracted a cellphone from the pocket of his lab coat and dialed the usual number.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end was strong and businessman-like. It belonged to one of the richest, most powerful, and deadliest men in the world.

"Sir, I believe I've located the missing piece of the Terra Project. I'm tracking unusual seismic activities; all I need if for you to authorize the necessary retrieval procedures and we can get our subject back." Cobalt responded as his face twisted into a corrupt smile.

There was a pause. "Where is she?"

"The last seismic wave came from Jump City. Very close to the Teen Titan's tower, as irony would have it sir. I used the satellites and was able to re-attach to the homing beacon we implanted inside her. She's in the middle of nowhere right now, sir – however judging from her current speed and the direction, the next major city she could be heading towards would be Gotham."

This time there was no pause. "Gotham? I'm heading there myself later. I have a business meeting with Wayne Enterprises, as luck would have it."

Cobalt wasn't interested in business. He was interested in Terra; but he couldn't very well say that to his boss. "What are you saying, sir?"

"Pack your bags, Cobalt. If she is heading to Gotham, we can find her in due time. You shall accompany me on my business trip."

Cobalt sighed. Another delay. "Very well, sir."

"And Cobalt? If you're wrong about this, you can consider your contract with my corporation official revoked; and I don't think I need to elaborate on what that means, do I?"

"No sir." Cobalt replied, genuine fear in his throat now.

The only thing Cobalt heard after that was a dial tone.

**

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**

If Beast Boy was counting on Raven being in a 'good mood' when she arrived in Gotham, he was out of luck.

Barbara knew Robin and Starfire had a relationship; and she wanted to hear all about it. Starfire knew Barbara had been a friend of Robin's, and she wanted to learn as much about Robin's friend as she could. Of course, Raven knew Barbara and Robin had been more than 'just friends'; and Raven also remembered what Starfire was capable of in the presence of Kitten. Adding all of this up in her head, Raven realized how stupid it was of her to get involved in Robin's problem.

Nevertheless, Robin was Robin. She shared a bond with him that went beyond the Titans. He had been there for her at a time in her life when no one else was. He had not only allowed her to join the Teen Titans; he had accepted her aid in co-founding the team – even after he'd found out who she was, and who her father was. In those days, before the Titans, Robin had been the only person on Earth she could trust. The only person, aside from Azar, she had ever trusted. That was a bond that could never break; if he asked for her help, she would give it to him.

Or at least, she would try. Right now Starfire and Barbara were both way out in front of her. She was not as fast as Starfire's flight or Barbara's bike. The two of them were in front of her by a great distance, and Starfire was flying low to the ground. Raven couldn't be sure; but she had a bad feeling that right now, they were having a discussion that could land Robin in some serious trouble.

"So you're Dick's girlfriend, huh?" Barbara asked. Starfire was a few feet from her, flying along at a massive speed to keep up with the bike; but still not above a conversation.

"Indeed I am!" Starfire beamed. Barbara's face cracked into a smile.

"Good. I'm glad he finally found someone. I just hope dating him is more fun for you than it was for me." Barbara replied, laughing at her joke. Starfire started to laugh too – until she understood what the joke meant. The moment she did, the happiness in her face dissolved away.

"You and Robin dated?" Starfire choked out, a flood of her usual over-the-top emotions melting out.

"Yeah, well, I guess we did." Barbara replied. "I mean I flirted with the kid every day for two years, but when he finally asked me out things didn't go so well."

Starfire's eyes were widening. She forced herself to smile a large, friendly smile. It looked completely fake. "Oh, they did not?" She asked; hoping she'd get to hear this story.

"Yeah." Barbara was watching the road, and not Starfire's face. "Well our actual date went fantastic. We went to the circus; had a great time. On the way home, though, we caught the Joker robbing a bank. Bruce was out of town, so we went in alone – as Robin and Batgirl, naturally. Anyway, we weren't enough. Joker shot Dick right in the chest. It was horrible. He almost died. When Bruce got back he fired Dick as his sidekick, and Dick left Gotham to form the Titans. That was the last time I saw him until tonight. Truth be told, I've been worried about him. I mean, I saw you guys on the news – I knew he was alive and all; but every time I'd see him on the news he reminded me so much of Bruce. Always the leader, always on-the-ball, he was acting like a real hero – not the Dick I knew at all. I guess I was afraid he'd go and turn himself into Batman; but if landed a girl like you, I guess he still finds time for a love life after all, huh?"

"Something like that." Starfire replied, she wasn't really paying attention. Her mind was still processing all of this new information. Robin had never told her about his date with Barbara – or about Barbara at all for that matter. He also kept the story of his getting shot a secret from her. How many secrets did Dick Grayson have?

Starfire wasn't really that upset about his ex-girlfriend. She knew Robin loved her. She wasn't all that upset about his keeping his near-fatal injury a secret; Robin didn't like talking about his mistakes. However, she now knew Robin had a long, long history before he'd met her.

And it made her worry what else he had never told her. It made her wonder how she could trust him – and that made her worry the worst; because how could she love him, if she couldn't trust him?

They may have passed the Trials of Tamaran with flying colors; but the future of Robin and Starfire's 'perfect' relationship was looking more uncertain than ever.

**

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**

"You know Rob, I'm thinking we might have overreacted a little."

The R-Cycle was speeding down the road, T-Car just behind. Robin and Cyborg hadn't spoken much since their departure. However, the R-Cycle had an intercom installed on the dashboard that linked directly to both the T-Car's systems, and Cyborg's arm.

"I don't." Robin replied shortly.

"C'mon man, BB didn't know any better. He's clueless." Cyborg had abandoned Beast Boy in front of the tower; but now he was having regrets. He knew Beast Boy better than any of the others, and he knew that leaving Beast Boy to reach Gotham all on his own was a bad idea. Cyborg and Beast Boy had been friends from their first encounter – best friends. Sure, the vegetarian thing was annoying, his jokes were bad, and Cyborg would sooner die than let Beast Boy mess with his computer – but they were still closer than brothers.

"Look, _I_ screwed up, okay?" Robin admitted over the intercom. "This whole thing with Barbara and Starfire; it's all my fault; but right now we've got more important things to deal with. I'll fix everything, I'll explain everything to Starfire – _after we find Bruce_."

Cyborg bit his lip. Robin was in one of those moods. Robin had always been quick to accept responsibility for his mistakes; but he always tended to try to fix them himself. It came from living with Batman; Cyborg had always assumed. Cyborg never liked the idea of solo-crime fighting. He'd tried it, before the Titans were formed, but it wasn't his style. Sure, Cyborg had the technology and the brains to do it – he _was_ a genius, after all; and being a walking mass of the latest in military science didn't hurt either. Still, the solo-scene wasn't for him. Robin, he could see working as a solo hero. Of course, Robin _wasn't_ doing things solo – not now anyway. Cyborg had a feeling that Robin would be able to find Bruce a lot easier if he didn't have the Starfire situation on his mind – but he also had a feeling that Robin wouldn't care about Cyborg's suggestion; so he kept it to himself.

"It's your problem, so it's your call man." Cyborg responded over the intercom. "I'm just saying, we got a lot of crap going on. You've got this thing with Star and Barbara, Raven wasn't too happy with BB back at the tower; and Batman's missing. The last thing we need is for something horrible to happen to BB and add one more layer to this cake, right?"

There was silence over his intercom, and then Robin responded. "I guess I didn't think of that."

Cyborg let a smile dance across his face. Score one for him! "I can swing back to the tower and pick him up – you can keep on the way to Gotham in the meantime."

Robin sighed. "Yeah, okay. You're right."

"Booyah." Cyborg whispered so that it wouldn't be heard over the intercom; then turned his attention to the dashboard computer monitor. Cyborg kept tabs on all of the Titans from here – those transponders they all carried sent signals directly to an onboard map. It was a lot easier to fight crime when you knew where your buddies were. Cyborg scanned the map quickly to learn that Starfire and Raven, and presumably Barbara since she had been with them, were all making better time than Robin and Cyborg on the other road. The R-Cycle's tracking device and the T-Car were bleeping along on the map's route, nearly halfway between Gotham and Jump.

Then Cyborg looked for the small beeping dot that represented Beast Boy; and he gasped. It was moving – fast. Coming up the very same route Cyborg and Robin were traveling. Cyborg was amazed at how fast the dot was traveling – he'd never seen any of Beast Boy's forms move like that.

"What did that kid turn himself into now?" Cyborg wondered aloud, watching the dot draw even closer to where the T-Car and R-Cycle blazed down the road. _Guess I'll know soon enough_. Cyborg thought with a grin.

The dot labeled "BB" now reached the T-Car's dot and the R-Cycle's. Cyborg looked out the window to see if he could find any large, green animals; but he could not. What he did find, however, was a bit of a surprise.

Something streaked past the T-Car. It continued flying right past the R-Cycle; undoubtedly catching Robin's attention. What it was; Cyborg didn't know. It moved too fast for him to see – but judging from his monitor, whatever it was, Beast Boy was on it.

"Cyborg, what the heck was that?" Robin's voice floated in over the communicator.

"I have no clue buddy; but according to my scanners, Beast Boy was on it. Or in it. Or whatever." Cyborg replied rapidly.

"Beast Boy? You think he's in trouble?" Robin asked, already revving his engines and trying to catch up with whatever it was.

"Well, the way I see it either something's grabbed him, in which case yes, he's in trouble. Or he found some new kind of vehicle and decided to fly it – in which case he's in real trouble, 'cause that kid can barley ride a moped without crashing." Cyborg couldn't help but sneak his joke in there.

"Well, I'm going to shoot it down." Robin replied.

"What about BB?" Cyborg asked, now growing a bit concerned.

"I'll use low-impact projectiles; unless it hits Beast Boy directly he should be fine."

Cyborg wasn't too thrilled with the idea; but if someone had captured Beast Boy, this was their best chance to save him before it became a big issue. And if it was just a matter of Beast Boy fooling around – then it'd be a good lesson for Mr. Logan. "Alright Rob, you shoot, I'll try to find BB after the wreck."

Robin kicked the bike into full speed. He was getting closer to whatever-it-was now. He could see the flying shape – it looked like a giant mound of the ground, just hovering in the air and zipping by the countryside at speeds that could bring envy out of a F-16. Robin locked on with his lowest-impact grenade launcher and put his hand on the trigger.

With one push of the button, he could shoot it down. His eyes, however, caught two shapes on the top. One looked like it could be Beast Boy; the other might have been a woman judging from the slender build. Robin felt a lump form in his throat. Beast Boy could be in danger; but the shadowy outlines didn't appear to be fighting. It raised a lot of questions; but Beast Boy's safety was a priority – so he had to play the odds.

Robin was going to take the shot. He had no way of knowing that the only danger Beast Boy was really in, was danger of being accidentally blown up by Robin's missiles.

Robin squeezed the trigger.

**

* * *

**

**A/N**: Well, I know a few of the questions raised in the last chapter were answered here; but I also know there's a million left; and I'm sure the big evil cliffhanger doesn't help. BUT! There is good news; I have a ton of fresh, new ideas for this story – as well as all the old ones too! What does that mean? I don't know; except to say we're still very far from the ending. Also, can anyone guess who Cobalt's boss is? Seriously, if you look carefully enough, and you know your supervillians, you'll be able to guess; and if anyone does guess, I'll dedicated Chapter Twenty-Five to them as a reward! Heheh. The truth is out there.


	25. Reunions, Revelations and Really Bad Tim...

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

"Reunions, Revelations and Really Bad Timing"

**A/N**: There's some stuff about Terra's past in this chapter. Including her real name, how she got her powers, and her royal heritage. All of this is based on the Original Teen Titans comics, although since I've never read the comics, only the online summaries, it won't be perfect. (Same as when I did this for Trigon, Grant Wilson, Slade and all the rest.) Also, another note about the original comics – Tim Drake is introduced in this chapter. Now technically, Tim Drake did not become Robin III until **AFTER** Dick Grayson became Nightwing. But I needed someone else in Gotham aside from Alfred, frankly I like Tim Drake better than Jason Todd; so I'm doing some timeline changes.  
Now, since there are two Robin's in the story, I've decided to just call Tim, Tim. Anytime I say "Robin", I mean Dick Grayson, the Teen Titan's leader, Starfire's boyfriend – the guy you all know and love. Tim will just be referred to as Tim; that way there's no confusion. Anyway, I was going to dedicate this chapter to the person who guessed who Cobalt's boss was – but nobody guessed! XD So instead I'll dedicated it to **DarkSin**, who has been reading and reviewing for ages. On with the story!

**

* * *

**

"I'm taking the shot, Cy."

Robin hit the trigger, praying he was making the right choice, and he watched as two low-impact grenades shot from the sides of the R-cycle and went straight for the underside of the flying rock. If Robin was wrong about this; it could cost Beast Boy his life. However, Beast Boy was capable of protecting himself; he should be fine. And more importantly, if Robin was right, this could be the green titan's only chance.

The grenades struck the rock; and they exploded right on the underside. The impact was in the dead center – just as Robin had hoped for. The actual explosion was relatively small; but the force wave knocked the rock into several large pieces that went flying in all directions. Off to the right of the road was a line of trees and a grassy field; and several large rocks – and two teenagers – went flying towards the trees.

The T-Car parked at the side of the road, and Cyborg made a b-line into the grass to look for his buddy. Robin was off the R-Cycle, also searching the wreckage.

As Robin looked at the wreckage, he realized it was exactly what it looked it; dirt. The flying-thing had been a mixture of dirt and solid rock. Robin knew who the woman on-board with Beast Boy was, now; but he could hardly believe it.

"DUDE!" Beast Boy's voice echoed through the night. He didn't sound happy; though who would be? Both Robin and Cyborg quickly ran in the direction until they found the green-skinned boy sitting in the grass under the trees. He looked shaken, and he was far from happy, but he unharmed.

"Beast Boy, you okay?" Cyborg asked, concern for his friend dripping out of his mouth. He hadn't approved of shooting Beast Boy down. It was dangerous; it could have killed his best friend. Then again, Beast Boy could have been in even more danger if Robin hadn't acted. Either way; Cyborg was done thinking about it. Beast Boy was _fine_, and the 'what ifs' no longer mattered.

"I was . . . UNTIL YOU TWO FIRED GRENADES AT ME!" Beast Boy shouted at the top of his lungs. To Cyborg, the 'what ifs' may not matter – but to the kid who had nearly been blown into ribbons, that was another story.

"We just saw your beacon on my computer. Figured you were in some kind of trouble." Cyborg explained quickly. Beast Boy glared at him.

"I'm a Titan too; I know how to take care of myself – or did you miss that memo?" Beast Boy snapped sarcastically. "You could have blown me up, you know." He added.

"Naw, you know Robin's a good shot." Cyborg responded with a grin. Now that he knew, Beast Boy was safe and sound; he had no problem laughing about this whole thing. Besides, if he knew his friend half as well as he thought he did; Beast Boy himself would someday look back and laugh at it.

"Beast Boy." Robin interrupted. "Who was that with you?" Robin wasn't laughing. He wasn't even close to laughing. He had been forced to make a dangerous decision very rapidly – it had worked out; and they were lucky it had. By all rights, Beast Boy could have been hit by one of those missiles and killed – or the impact from the fall could have smashed his skull. As relieved as Robin was to see none of those things happened; he hadn't forgotten his reason for risking it.

Beast Boy's eyes suddenly widened. Terra! He'd forgotten all about her. He looked around his left and right; but she was nowhere to be seen. He then looked back up at Robin, this time to explain, but he was beaten to the punch.

"Hiya guys." Terra's voice called. Beast Boy, Robin and Cyborg all looked at the line of trees behind Beast Boy. Terra was stuck in a tree; bleeding from a fresh cut on her head and being held up only by the back of her hospital gown, which was stuck to a low branch. It was only now that she became truly thankful she even had a back to the gown. If it wasn't for Dr. Cobalt's insistence that she be 'dressed properly for the boss', she would have been in a traditional, backless gown – and if she'd been wearing one of those, she'd be dead right now.

"Think you can get me down?"

**

* * *

**

"Okay, what's gotten into you?" Barbara asked bluntly.

Starfire and Batgirl continued along the road to Gotham; unaware of the complicated predicament unfolding on the other road with Robin and the rest of the Titans; and equally unaware of Raven, who was still lagging behind the redheads.

"Whatever do you mean?" Starfire replied; her voice was scratchy and she still had to force a fake smile.

"Cut the crap. You're acting strange; really strange. Is this because of what I said about Dick and me dating?" Barbara asked bluntly. She wasn't a fool.

"No." Starfire replied much too quickly to be believable.

"Look, Starfire, that was a long time ago. I don't know why Dick chose to hide it from you, but like I said, nothing ever happened. We didn't even kiss." Barbara tried to reassure her fellow redhead, but she had a feeling it wasn't working. "I wouldn't try to take him from you, if that's what your worried about."

Starfire sighed. She couldn't avoid this any longer. Really, it could have been predicted that Barbara would see through Starfire's lies. Her father was the finest police commissioner Gotham had ever seen and he had taught her all of his secrets. She could pass herself off as a human polygraph. That, plus her training with Batman, made her a hard person to trick. Starfire never had a chance to begin with.

"I am not worried about Robin's feelings towards me." Starfire explained. "I know that he loves me; and I love him too."

Barbara wished she could be looking Starfire in the eyes for this conversation – but of course, she was driving, and could not. Still, the other girl's voice sounded convincing; and that filled Batgirl with questions. "If you two are so deeply in love, what's the problem?"

"Robin lied to me." Starfire replied, a quiet coldness in her voice.

"Yeah, but he only lied to try to make things easier on you. He knew you and I would have to work together on this one, and he didn't want things awkward because of his history with me." Barbara responded; taking the blame for everything. In truth she didn't believe what she was saying. This was all Dick's fault. He should have told Starfire the truth – and it wouldn't have killed him to tell Barbara he'd found someone else, either. At least if she had known, Barbara would have watched her mouth a little more.

"It does not change the fact that he lied." Starfire's voice became even quieter, and it now carried a faint sadness mixed in with the chill. "Robin lied to us before. He had good intentions, but that did not matter. In the end, he failed in what he was doing _and_ his mistake came back to haunt him – and the rest of us – in the form of Red X."

Barbara sighed. "I'm not entirely sure what you're talking about, but it doesn't sound good." Batgirl stared forward on her bike, watching the empty road pass by. For a long time a silence fell on the two teenagers as they continued their journey to Gotham. Starfire was not comforted; if anything her anger towards Robin had only intensified. She needed to be able to trust him. It was more important than anything else was.

Starfire just didn't understand. They had admitted their feelings for one another, they had been through hell on Tamaran when they went for the Trials, and they had passed the ancient ritual together. Along the way they had become closer than ever before; and Starfire had assumed that would be that. She and Robin were open about their love, and their love had become so strong. Now . . . she learned he had lied; at least twice. Were there more lies she did not know of? The possibility scared her.

Tears started to form in the corners of Starfire's big green eyes. She was going to cry. Barbara couldn't see them, since her eyes were still on the road, but she heard the familiar sound of a sob being choked back.

"Hey, it's going to be okay." Barbara attempted to calm her down. "So he lied; he's a man, it happens."

"It should not!" Starfire snapped. "He did not tell me about you, he did not tell me about being shot; he kept all of those things from me – and there may be more. I cannot love someone who lies to me."

Barbara felt a cold shiver run down her back. "What are you saying?"

Starfire bit her lip. "I am saying I must have a talk with Robin when we reach Gotham. I must demand the truth – the whole truth – about everything." She paused. The next words that came out of her mouth were painful for Starfire to speak. "I am saying that unless he tells me the truth; I cannot give him my full love."

Barbara bit her lip. If Starfire was saying what it sounded like she was saying, then Barbara may have just ruined her best friend's relationship with the alien.

_Dick's gonna kill me._ She sighed.

**

* * *

**

"Oh God, what happened?"

James Gordon was waking up to unfamiliar surroundings. He had a splitting headache, he couldn't see, his arms felt as if they were bound by rope, and he was soaking wet. His first thought was that he was having one of the worst hangovers of his life – but quickly he dismissed that. Memories were sweeping back into his mind. He could remember sitting in the armchair by his fireplace, reading up on some case files before bedtime. He could remember the sound of someone breaking in his front door; and the feeling of a blunt object being brought down against the back of his skull. The last thing he remembered was the sensation of blood flowing down his neck, and laughter.

"Jim?"

Gordon opened his eyes wide. That was Batman's voice. He still could not see and realized it was because of a blindfold. There was a foul taste in his mouth and he did his best to sit up and spit.

"Where are we?" Gordon asked.

"A sewer. Listen, we don't have much time. Harley went to make a cellphone call; can you reach my belt?" Batman's voice explained.

"I can try."

Gordon could not see, and his hands were tied behind his back. It took a while for him to prop himself up, but finally he was able to manage. He and Batman sat back to back in the dirty sewer water, and slowly, Jim's hand was able to reach the yellow belt.

"What am I feeling for?" Gordon asked him when his fingers came in contact with the Dark Knight's belt.

"My Bat-a-rangs, they're too your left. Get one and cut through these ropes." Batman replied. "And hurry Jim, we don't have much time."

Gordon felt around as best her could. His fingers brushed up against a compartment on the belt and he opened it; but there were no bat-a-rangs inside, only small smoke bombs. Gordon moved on to the next one and as he felt inside his finger was cut on the sharp edge. He swore under his breath, but he ignored the pain and removed the bat-a-rang using his index and middle finger. Slowly he brought it up and began slicing through the bindings on Batman's wrists. It wasn't easy, since he was holding the bat-a-rang with a mere two fingers, couldn't see, and even the slightest mistake could mean cutting a vein. However, luck was on his side; he was able to sever the ropes successfully.

Batman, his hands now free, quickly tore off the blindfold. The sewers were empty of any sign of Harley Quinn or her deranged boss. Batman turned around, took the bat-a-rang from the commissioner's fingers, and used it to cut the ropes around his feet and the ones around Gordon's hands. Once Jim's hands were free, Batman turned away from him and began looking for an escape route.

Gordon untied his blindfold and then did the same to the ropes on his feet. They'd managed to free themselves of their bonds; but they were far from home free. He stood up and silently joined Batman in the search for an exit.

"Thanks." Gordon called as he peered down one of the darkened sewer tunnels. He wasn't entirely sure what he was looking for; only that he'd know it when he found it. He walked down the tunnel a little ways and then he noticed a ladder, which lead to a closed manhole cover. "Hey! Batman, I think I found a way up."

Before the Commissioner had a chance to go looking for Batman, however, the manhole cover above him began to make sounds. Gordon watched as someone pried it open with a crowbar. Jim quickly backed up into the shadows of the darkened tunnel and took to watching silently. Before his very eyes the Joker appeared at the top of the ladder and climbed down. When the clown prince of crime dropped down the last few feet and his shoes splashed in the sewage – that's when Jim made his move.

Gordon tackled the Joker like an angry lineman. The clown didn't know what had hit him, and he went down into the sewage on his back. Jim, now on top of him, shot his hands into the Joker's purple jacket and began feeling around for his gun. He knew the Joker had one, and he had to make sure he couldn't use it. Unfortunately as Jim was digging, the Joker growled in frustration and punched the policeman in his stomach. Gordon was sent reeling and fell off the Joker, landing doubled-over on his side.

Before Gordon could even think about getting up again; he heard the sound of a gun cocking.

"You know Jimbo, you're going to get hurt doing things like that." Joker's voice was amused. He followed his statement with one of his trademark laughs, then he pressed the nozzle of the gun into Gordon's temple.

"Let him go."

Gordon had opened his eyes, and he could see the gun pressed against his forehead. Now, however, his eyes flicked away from the Joker when Batman's voice spoke. The Joker too looked away from Jim.

Batman was standing at the end of the tunnel, and he had Harley Quinn held in his arms. The Joker grinned.

"Looks like we both have a hostage, Batsy. Of course, you don't kill hostages. Me on the other hand, I live for it." The clown laughed again.

"Let him go." Batman repeated.

"Or what?" Joker laughed. "I know you won't kill Harley. And Harley knows you won't kill her, don't you Harley?"

Batman had a hand over Harley Quinn's mouth, but her eyes said all they needed to say. She was afraid.

"How about this Batsy? You surrender, we go on with my plans, and that way you and Jimmy here get another few hours alive. Or I can shoot him, you can snap Harley's neck, and then you and I can kill each other. Which one sounds best to you?"

"Take this guy out Batman." Gordon snapped. Joker pushed the barrel of his revolver into Gordon's head as hard as he could.

Batman said nothing. Slowly, he released his grip on Harley and dropped his hands down to his side. The Joker laughed.

"I knew you couldn't do it Batsy. Harley! Relieve our friend of his belt, and tie him back up."

Batman remained silent, but he had to fight hard to keep the smile of his face. While their escape attempt had been foiled, he had accomplished one thing. During the commotion, he had retrieved a homing beacon from his belt, activated it, and planted it on himself. Now Alfred, Tim, Barbara; or anyone else who happened to be in the Batman, could easily find him.

He just had to wait.

**

* * *

**

Tim Drake sat alone in the Batcave.

Tim was the youngest member of the crime-fighting team that used this place as it's headquarters. His origins, ironically enough, began the same night Dick Grayson's did. He and his parents had been at Haly's Circus the night the Flying Grayson's died; and Tim had seen Bruce Wayne adopt Dick Grayson. At the time, he'd thought nothing of it. Then he'd watched the news after Robin made his first appearance at Batman's side – and he recognized one of Robin's moves as one of Dick Grayson's circus tricks. Tim had figured it out. Robin was Dick Grayson; and that meant Batman had to be Bruce Wayne.

Tim, who was the ultimate anti-social, athletic nerd, followed Batman and Robin's crime fighting career with interest. Then, one day, there was no Robin anymore. Dick Grayson left Gotham; and Batman lost his sidekick. Tim didn't know what to do at the time – but soon afterwards he heard about Bruce Wayne adopting someone named Jason Todd – and after that, Batman had a new Robin. Tim was convinced that he knew the truth.

Then, the Joker murdered Jason Todd; and Batman needed a new sidekick again. This time Tim had gone right up to Bruce Wayne, confronted him about everything, and asked for the job. Wayne gave him a chance; and Tim had passed with flying colors. He was every bit as anti-social as Bruce, which gave them a great chemistry. Plus, for someone so young, Tim was a genius. He buried himself in books and computers and learned how they worked. He also studied martial arts. The bookworm got a chance to be the third Robin, and so far he'd done a good job.

Now Tim was in the Batcave alone. He was worried. Batman was missing, Batgirl had gone off to find the first Robin and the Teen Titans and seek their help in finding them. When Tim heard, he was excited. He had always wanted to meet Dick Grayson. Tim always worried about whether or not he could live up to the name "Robin." The citizens of Gotham knew that the Robin who fought alongside Batman these days was a different person than the Robin they saw whenever the news reported on the Teen Titans. Tim had huge shoes to fill – and now the person who owned those shoes was coming here. It made him nervous.

But right now, none of that mattered. Nothing in the world mattered except for what Tim saw. He had been sitting in the Batcave alone, staring at the computer screen waiting for some message from someone. Barbara hadn't contacted him, and there was no sign of Bruce. However; that changed. A homing beacon suddenly flashed into life on the screen.

And Tim knew it was Bruce trying to signal them.

"Where are you Babs?" Tim whispered. They had a signal. They could go save Bruce now – but there was no 'they'. Barbara was still gone, and that left only Tim Drake, the third Robin, all alone. He knew he didn't have the skills to save Bruce alone. He could try – he could rush off in the night and try to save Batman all by himself.

But that was the mistake that had beaten the first two Robins. When Dick Grayson had rushed into things, he got shot by the Joker and fired by Batman. When Jason Todd had rushed into things, The Joker had beaten him with a crowbar and left him to die in a explosion – and explosion that wound up killing him. For these reasons, Tim Drake didn't want to rush into things.

"The Titans better get here soon." Tim sighed, feeling completely helpless.

**

* * *

**

"And then Beast Boy said I should come with him to Gotham, to see you, 'cause you'd be the best person to think of a plan." Terra explained.

The four youths were back at the T-Car now, and once again, the stories had to be told. Terra sat in the rear passenger seat of the vehicle, having just retold the entire tale from her awakening in the lab up until now. Beast Boy was leaning against the side of the T-Car, nervously playing with his feet. He had already heard Terra's tale, of course, and did not need to hear it again. Instead, he would preoccupy his mind trying to guess Robin and Cyborg's reactions to all of this. Cyborg was standing next to the open door of the T-Car, watching Terra as she told the story. His face was alive and animated. Whenever she'd say something that sounded fake – he'd make a "Mmmhmm" noise and show his disbelief. He didn't trust her – and she didn't blame him. Robin, however, was completely blank. He was pacing back and forth in front of Terra, listening to every word she said without ever making a sound himself.

Robin was upset. He was not upset with Beast Boy and Terra – not too much anyway – but rather at the entire situation. The burden on his shoulders seemed to be getting heavier by the minute, and eventually he would break. His mentor was still missing and in danger, his girlfriend and his ex-girlfriend were together and that could mean trouble, and now Terra was back in their lives – and from the sounds of things, she was in serious danger.

"Look, I didn't know how busy you guys were when I went to Beast Boy for help." Terra said suddenly, breaking Robin's train of thought. "Maybe it's best if I don't go to Gotham. I mean, I don't understand how or why I was brought back, but I should make the most of it, right?"

Robin looked up at Terra. She had a smile on her face; but he could see through it. She was only making her offer because she was trying to be nice. Robin could see the truth in her eyes. She did not want to be alone. She wanted to be with the Titans, whether they were busy or not; and after hearing her story Robin thought she needed to be with them – at least for now.

"Terra, the scientists who were working on you; what do you know about them?" Robin asked.

"Not much. They never spoke to me. The only things they ever said to me were 'eat', and that's only when they'd bring me food." Terra replied.

"Did you catch any of their names?" Robin inquired, hopeful.

"There was a guy they called Cobalt." Terra responded. "I remember him because he kept drawing my blood every day."

"Dude, why would they draw your blood?" Beast Boy asked as he recoiled. Beast Boy hated needles.

"It could have something to do with my powers." Terra replied. "I mean, when I was little Dr. Jace told me it was because of my blood that I could use my powers."

Robin, Cyborg and Beast Boy all exchanged worried glances. Robin was the first to ask. "You'd better explain."

Terra sighed. "My father was the King of Markovia. I don't know who my mother was – except that she wasn't the Queen. He didn't want a scandal so he sent me to the United States. Dr. Jace was a friend of the family; she raised me and helped me awaken my powers. I was little, so I didn't really understand too much – but she was always saying it was all because of my royal blood."

Robin didn't like hearing that. Mysterious underground laboratories? A strange doctor obsessed with Terra's blood? And now this connection to her powers? Robin had his theories; but he was also lacking evidence, and several pieces of the puzzle. They needed more information.

"You said you were in Metropolis, right?" Robin asked, and Terra nodded. "Cyborg, run a check of the systems; see if there are any Cobalt's registered in Metropolis. Doctors, Scientists, people along those lines."

Cyborg nodded his head and made his way into the T-Car. He took his usual seat behind the steering wheel and then pulled a small wire from his right arm. He connected the wire to the dashboard and then he waited. Robin watched Cyborg with anxious eyes. Beast Boy watched Terra; she appeared to be growing nervous with every passing second. Beast Boy didn't know why – perhaps because she was lying to them, and she was afraid they'd discover that. Or maybe it was because she was telling the truth; and she was terrified of what they might learn about Cobalt.

"Found two." Cyborg announced. "Dr. Jessica Cobalt, she's a neurosurgeon at St. John's Trauma Center."

"This Cobalt was a guy." Terra said instantly.

Cyborg nodded. "There's another. Dr. Philip Cobalt. According to what I could find on him, he _was_ a research scientist working for Wayne Enterprises. Conducting genetic experiments. There are no details in the public records, but if it has to do with genetics and DNA, they would draw a lot of blood."

"He worked for Wayne Enterprises?" Robin asked, astounded. Bruce had opened a Wayne Enterprises building in Metropolis a few years ago. Metropolis has been one of the few major cities in North America without a Wayne Corp building, and the board of directors had wanted to change that.

"Relax; he used to work for Wayne Corp. From what I found, the executives – and I'm guessing that means your buddy Bruce – didn't like his research methods and fired him a while ago." Cyborg explained. "But that's only the tip of the ice burg bud. Looks like Cobalt found another job. According to this he's listed as a research scientist for a private corporation."

"What private corporation?" Beast Boy asked, getting fed up with Cyborg stringing them along. Cyborg, however, shook his head.

"I don't know BB. That's all I could find in the public records. The T-Car isn't advanced enough to hack into classified records; at least not these." Cyborg explained. "I mean, I could try, but if their security is as good as it looks, both the T-Car and my systems could be fried if I don't get things right."

Cyborg was a genius when it came to computers; the mere fact he wasn't even willing to try was enough for Robin.

"No, there's no point in risking your safety Cy. We can dig deeper when we get to Gotham – the Batcave should have the equipment we need."

Terra looked up at Robin with a worried smile on her face. "So, I can come with you guys?"

Robin closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them again and nodded his head. "Terra, we already have a mountain of problems, and I'm not totally convinced that we can trust you; but I'm willing to give you a chance. You're only getting one, but so far I think you've been honest."

Terra smiled at him. "One chance, huh? That's more than I deserve Robin. Thank you."

Robin shook his head. "Don't thank me Terra. Just don't disappoint me."

Without another word, Robin turned around and boarded the R-Cycle. They were way behind schedule and needed to move. His mind was as burdened as ever. So far, Terra's story had checked out – at least the parts of it they could check. With his mentor missing, Starfire and Barbara still an concern on his mind, and the possibility of Terra's permanent return; Dick Grayson had a lot to think about.

Right now, though, he had to concentrate on getting to Gotham City. "Titans, Go!" He called out as he revved the engine and sped off.

Cyborg, Terra and Beast Boy hurried into the T-Car without a word to each other and followed the boy wonder.

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**A/N**: Jeez, there were twelve reviews this time; and they were long ones. You readers are awesome; you blow me away every time with the feedback. I love you guys. I'm gonna work **EXTRA** hard on the rest of this story. Yes, that I promise.


	26. Breaking Into Prison For A Change

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

"Breaking Into Prison For A Change"

**A/N**: I know, it took me ten whole days to update. I feel bad about that. Between physical therapy, computer-stealing parents, and an addicted online RP; most of my time lately has been elsewhere. I apologize for the delay, and it **WILL NOT** happen again. I promise.

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Batgirl was still riding in silence, her mind filled with what seemed to be the weight of the world. However, that weight was lifted quickly as he eyes fell on something and her foot slammed down on the breaks. The motorcycle swerved and came to a stop at its side. Starfire, who had been flying beside Barbara, stopped in midair and turned around. She did not know why Barbara had come to such a sudden stop – but it could mean danger.

"What is it?" Starfire asked, her hands taking on a green glow. Barbara noticed the combat stance and laughed, shaking her head.

"Relax, I just got preoccupied." Barbara explained quickly, and Starfire realized she was wrong about the danger. "We're here."

Batgirl pointed off to the side of the road. The trees here were parted, revealing an old cavern. The cave had a large black-and-yellow striped danger sign on top, which read in large red letters: "DANGER! KEEP OUT!" Starfire raised an eyebrow.

"We are where?" She asked.

"It's a hidden entrance to the Batcave, naturally." Batgirl replied with a smile.

Starfire blinked. "Why are we entering a Bat's cave?"

Barbara couldn't help but laugh. It had been awkward being around Starfire, at first, because of her history with Dick – but she'd grown to like the alien quite a bit. Barbara sighed. She hadn't forgotten what happened on the road; and she knew Starfire hadn't either. Barbara truly hoped she'd have a chance to talk to Starfire one-on-one, girl-on-girl, and be able to explain things before it all came back to bite Richard in the ass.

"No, Starfire, the Batcave is Batman's headquarters. He found an old cavern under Wayne Manor when he was a kid and converted it into his HQ. Not all superheroes live in giant 'T's, you know." Barbara explained with a smile.

The two girls dove deep into the darkness of the cavern. Once inside, Starfire balled her fists and illuminated the cave with the green glow of starbolts. Between the bike's headlights and the glow of Starfire's hands, the path to the Batcave was lit up. What appeared to be an unsafe, old dirt road from the outside was actually smooth asphalt; hidden under dust for appearances. Bruce kept this place looking like a creepy old cave; but it was every bit as technological as the Justice League Headquarters was.

Finally they reached the end of the cavern; and Barbara stopped her bike. They had arrived in the parking facility. Starfire gasped as she looked around; impressed by the various vehicles. They were on a large metal platform; it contained several parking spots. Aside from the spot Batgirl had parked her motorcycle in; there was another motorcycle which resembled the R-Cycle at a glance; but upon closer inspection Starfire saw that it was very different. There was also a car – the car.

The car was sleek, elegant and black as the night itself. The windows were smooth and shiny, and the tires seemed perfect. It was the Batmobile; but Starfire didn't know that. She'd heard Robin and Cyborg talk about that car before – Robin would tell Cyborg all about the car just to watch his friend shake with envy. Starfire, who knew little about cars and even less about this infamous vehicle, had never understood why Cyborg wanted to see this car so badly.

She still didn't see what the big deal was.

"Hey, it's about time!" A voice called from the darkness.

Starfire whipped around; and she gasped. It was Robin. She quickly flew towards him; a million things on her mind as she approached – but as she got closer to him, and the darkness around him was unveiled by the light of her hands she realized that the boy standing in front of her was not Robin.

Well, not _her_ Robin. He wore a suit very similar to Robin's; but it too was different. The colors, the design – it was only slight changes (this boy wore red and yellow; while her Robin preferred green and red) but it was clearly a different Robin. Aside from the color changes on the suit; this boy was shorter than Robin; and his hair wasn't spiked up with gel like her Robin's was.

The boy, of course, was Timothy Drake. Starfire should have realized this; but instead she jumped to another conclusion.

"Are you a Larry?" Starfire asked, with fear in her voice.

"What's a Larry?" Tim Drake replied; but quickly he shook his head. "Barbara, why'd you turn your communicator off? I've been trying to reach you!" He snapped, turning his head in Batgirl's direction.

Barbara sighed. "Tim, you would not believe how much I've had to go through tonight. Give me a break, okay?"

Tim glared. "I found Bruce."

Barbara's eyes widened. Questions filled her brain faster than her mouth could ask them. What did this mean? Was Bruce here? Was he okay? Was he alive? "What do you mean you found Bruce?"

"I picked up his tracer. He _was_ in the sewer system. I tried calling you; but you didn't answer Barb. I couldn't go by myself . . ." He trailed off. The anger he had felt a moment ago was drizzling away. Sure, he was mad at Batgirl. If she had answered him before, then maybe they could have already saved Bruce. Still; he could not blame everything on her – he had to accept his share of the blame.

"Oh God." Barbara breathed in quietly. "If I hadn't shut the radio off . . ."

"Stop this at once! You are both behaving like children." Starfire snapped. "If Bruce meant half as much to you as you claim he does; you would stop wasting time thinking of your mistakes and start correcting them."

"Then what do you suggest?" Tim snapped. He was in a bad mood and he didn't like being told what to do by someone he just met.

"_I_ suggest you all shut up and let me handle this."

Tim, Barbara and Starfire all turned to the entrance of the Batcave. Raven had just arrived, walking towards them slowly. Tim started forward and started to open his mouth; but a very wise Barbara clapped a hand over it before he could speak.

"She's with us." Barbara explained. "Hey Raven, you fell kinda behind, didn't you?"

Raven didn't answer her. She was obviously in a bad mood. "Where was his position?" Raven asked quietly.

Barbara removed her hand from Tim's mouth, and Tim quickly stepped forward with his masked eyes narrowed. "I already said, the sewer system."

"Show me on the computer." Raven ordered.

"Just who do you think you are?" Tim snapped, unable to take it anymore. "This isn't Titan's Tower, and you aren't in charge. So how about a little respect?"

Raven didn't say a word. She didn't have too. The expression on her face after Tim's bold speech could have scared a wild animal into submission. Tim seemed to get the message, because he walked over to the large full-back black chair and began typing at the keyboard. A minute later the oversized wall-monitor built into the side of the cave brought up a map of the city's sewer system. There was a flashing red dot in the middle.

"There." Tim said bitterly.

"Which direction was the transponder moving when it was disconnected?" Raven asked.

"North." Tim replied.

Raven's eyes searched the map for a moment, searching all of the possible sewage paths. Before she could even begin to guess which way Batman's signal was going, a fifth voice joined the others in the cave.

"Master Tim! Put it on the news!" Alfred, the butler, had appeared. He was halfway down the hidden staircase that leads in from Wayne Manor when he spotted the others. He seemed to be in too much of a hurry to say a word to Batgirl, or to the Titans with her. He pushed his way past Raven and hit a button on the keyboard – the map was replaced with the evening news report.

Everyone gasped. The blonde newscaster who sat behind the news desk was halfway through a report; the words "BREAKING NEWS!" kept flashing at the bottom of the screen in bold letters.

"If you're just joining us, the Arch-criminal known as the Joker has staged a prison riot. It is unknown how the Joker broke _into_ the prison, but early reports state he may have used the sewage system. A prison guard who was released delivered a chilling message to police; the Joker has hostages and he plans to free all of the criminals held in the prison. According to the guard, the Joker plans to make a public announcement sometime tonight."

The horrified looks that appeared on the faces of the teenage superheroes didn't even get a chance to fully sink it when something else happened. All at once, the TV signal changed. Where there had once been a news station; there was now a disturbing sight.

The office of the prison warden was being shown on TV now. Instead of the warden, The Joker sat behind the desk in the office. His trademark smile was in place and there was a malevolent gleam in his disturbed eyes.

"What has happened?" Starfire asked.

"The warden up at the prison has a special broadcasting signal. He can transmit to every television in Gotham if he wants too. It was designed to warn the city in case there was ever a massive prison break. I guess the Joker decided to use it for his games." Tim explained.

"Put your hands together, ladies and gents, for the one and only Joker!" Harley Quinn had appeared on screen, holding a microphone in her hand and wearing grin on her face.

"Thank you for that warm introduction, Harl. Hello Gotham, it's your favorite criminal genius. Today we're going to be playing a little game; and I've decided to let the whole city watch. As we speak, the entire convict population of this prison has been released – and don't you know, I went and left the door to the weapons closet unlocked. Silly me." The Joker paused in his speech for a minute of maniacal laughter before he continued. "Anyway, we've been having some fun, harassing the guards, beating the cops, setting random fires; you know, that old chestnut. But now it's time for the main event. Tonight, before your very eyes, we're going to have a little raffle. And one lucky supervillian is going to get to kill the most irritating men in Gotham. Harvey, bring 'em in!"

The camera turned away from the Joker and Harley. It swerved around the warden's office until it came to rest on a tall man. The man was standing at an angle so that only his right side could be seen. On this side he looked like anybody else – tall, dark hair, light skin. But when the man turned so that his full profile could be viewed; it was very different. His left side was covered in old acid burns, and his hair was frizzled and messy. The eyeball on this side was also oversized and discolored. This was Harvey Dent; the former district attorney. Of course, these days he was known as "Two-Face".

It wasn't the doubled-faced Dent that caused the superheroes back at the Batcave to gasp out in horror, however. It was the men on either side of him. Two Face was standing against the wall, holding a gun in each hand. Sitting on his right, tied up, was Batman. On his left, also hog-tied, was Commissioner James Gordon.

"Uncle Jim?" Barbara whispered the moment she saw her adopted father on the screen. "When did they –"

"When you were picking up the Titans; Sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I figured you had enough on your mind." Tim explained.

"As you can see, citizens of Gotham, we have some special guests. I'm sure you all recognize the commissioner of your precious police force, James Gordon. And I know you all recognize the one and only Batman. For too long the hard-working criminals of this city have had to live in fear of these men. Well, tonight I liberate you all! Leave your houses; commit your crimes! Because when the big clock strikes midnight, Batman and James Gordon are going to be executed; live on television! I urge all of my fellow criminals to get out there and mess this town up – whose gonna stop you? Ha hahahahaahahah!"

The Joker began to laugh in his maniacal laugh. After a few seconds he stopped and looked back at the camera. "Stay tuned everybody; in a few short hours Batman will be unmasked and shot right before your eyes. Oh, and if the police are watching this – don't think about any foolhardy rescue attempts. I've got an entire prison full of inmates who have been stuck here way too long, and I'm crazy enough to give 'em all guns. If you want to save your commissioner or your bat, you better have the entire U.S. Army with you. Well, that's all for now. We now return you to whatever pointless dribble you were watching, already in progress."

The Joker laughed once again; and suddenly he was gone.

There was an eerie hush to the room. No one spoke at first. None of them could find the words to express the horror of the situation. None of them, that is, except for Raven.

"Where's the nearest entrance to the sewers?" She asked Tim. Tim blinked twice.

"Why?"

Raven sighed and silently wondered how Robin put up with being a leader. "The Joker's in the prison; he was in the sewer. That means there's a way to enter the prison through the sewer system. The Joker is probably planning to use that as his escape route if his plan backfires; so it won't be guarded, since he wouldn't want any of the other prisoners messing up his escape. We can use that path to get in unnoticed."

Tim was impressed. He was a genius; but Raven was brilliant. These 'Teen Titans' might be better heroes than Tim originally thought. Tim quickly began typing at the computer, pulling up blueprints of the prison. Sure enough, as he searched, he found exactly what Raven expected him to find.

"There's a tunnel that leads from the sewer into the prison's lower level." Tim said as the pictures came on screen. "It's the only one, so that's got to be how the Joker got inside. Wow, you were dead on with this one."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Barbara asked. "We've got to get out there. They said they're going to kill Bruce and Uncle Jim at midnight; that doesn't give us much time."

"Shouldn't we wait for the other Titans?" Tim asked.

"No." Starfire replied instantly, not wanting to wait on or confront Robin right now.

"We'll call them on the way and fill them in." Raven decided for the group – she had taken on the role of the leader, in the stead of Robin. The Gotham crew seemed to respect her lead; then again, they didn't have any other choice. "Tim, where's the nearest entrance to the sewers?"

Tim was quick about checking the computer. "Just inside the city limits."

"Then that's where we're going." Raven said, and that was the end of discussion.

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"Are you certain this will work?"

Azarock and Sadira, the twin children of the fallen Trigon, had arrived on Earth. The demons stood on a rooftop looking down at Gotham in the twilight hours. The larger, fouler of the two siblings was still preoccupied with the plan. Azarock had been worried ever since Sadira came up with the complicated ideas now in motion.

"Of course I'm sure. Everything's working well now, isn't it?" She snapped. "The Titans are playing right into our hands."

Azarock shifted uncomfortably. "What about what's happening now? They shouldn't be in Gotham."

"It doesn't matter where they are." Sadira replied. "Nor does it matter what they're doing. As long as father's seed is allowed to awaken inside Raven; everything else is mute."

Azarock crossed his massive red arms and snorted. "You know Sadira, this could backfire. We don't know how Raven will react. What if she isn't as strong as you think? What if father's seed is allowed to grow; and father is reborn?"

Sadira laughed. "You idiot; we need father to be reborn. We just have to make sure we harvest the seed – and his powers – before he becomes strong enough to wield them. Then, it's our turn to rule."

Azarock's massive eyes grew even wider than normal. "Wait a second, if we leave that seed in there long enough for father to be reborn, he could gain power. What if he –"

"He won't." Sadira snapped. "You forget how this works. Father is dead; but his powers and his spirit are still living inside that seed. If we can get Raven to tap into that seed's power by unleashing her hatred, it will awaken father and the seed will start to grow. As the seed grows, Raven will become corrupted. Slowly, Raven will cease to exist and in her place, Trigon will recreate himself in her body. Trigon will have to prepare her first, though. He'll have to wait until all of his powers and essence has been absorbed into Raven's body. _That_ is when we strike. If we kill harvest the seed and kill father after he's prepared Raven, but before he takes control of her, then all of his power will be inside Raven and he will be gone. Raven of course, will go completely insane; but we can kill her and absorb the powers from her corpse. Then the only things left are you and I, Azarock. We'll have all of father's powers, and father will cease to be."

Sadira threw her head back and laughed in a harsh voice. Azarock looked down at the city below and shook his head. Too many things had to go perfectly for this plan to work; and there were too many other parties involved for him to relax. Azarock had expected matters involving humans to be simple; since humans were such simple, stupid animals. However, he'd learned that this was the most complicated thing he'd ever done in his long, long life.

"Soon brother. Soon all our hard work will pay off." Sadira grinned.

On another rooftop Magus stood, watching his younger siblings with a grin on his face. They were such idiots. Their plan was a good one; but it was missing one thing.

Magus had already corrected that problem, though. Soon everything would be in place. Very soon . . .

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"Hey, where are you guys?"

Raven's voice filled the T-car as it echoed out of the communicators built into Beast Boy's belt and Cyborg's arm. Cyborg was still following behind Robin, the group finally nearing the Batcave's entrance. Beast Boy and Terra, both of whom had been sitting in the backseat in complete silence, both froze. Terra's face lost it's color and she closed her eyes. Beast Boy bit his bottom lip.

"We're just outside the cave now Rae." Cyborg responded. "What about y'all?"

"We already left. Listen, I don't have much time so you'll have to get the reader's digest version. The Joker took over the prison and let all of the prisoners out; he's got Batman and Commissioner Gordon as hostages and he plans to kill them on live TV at midnight."

"Damn it." Robin's voice joined the conversation.

"Relax, we found an old sewer that leads inside. We're going to go in by the sewer; you guys go knock on the front door." Raven's voice concluded.

"Alright, we'll be there." Robin replied to Raven. "Cyborg, you guys head over to the prison; I have to make a quick stop on the way."

Ahead of them, Beast Boy watched as Robin's R-Cycle pulled off to the side and headed into a cavern on the side of the highway. It was the Batcave's entrance, though Beast Boy didn't know that. He was only half paying attention to Robin's detour anyway. His mind was elsewhere.

They'd all be storming the prison to stop the Joker; and when they did, Raven and Terra would surely run into each other.

That . . . could get messy.

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**11:07:23 PM**

"You're running out of time, Batsy." The Joker laughed, looking over at his prisoners. He was still sitting in the warden's fullback black leather swivel chair. He had an open box of Chinese food in his lap, and a single brown noodle was hanging from the corner of his mouth. "Less than an hour before the big unmasking, I can hardly wait."

Batman was still tied-up on the floor next to Jim Gordon. They had been left leaning against the wall when Two Face and the Riddle had gone to check on the prisoners. With the entire prison freed, the prisoners wanted to leave the prison and head back to the city. None of them did; however. The police had blocked off every entrance and exit. Police snipers covered every window, and SWAT teams stood by at every door. The Riddle and Two Face were now attempting to calm the prisoners and reassure them that, as soon as the Joker's plan was finished, they would all be free men. Harley was at the Joker's side, sitting on the table.

"This isn't going to work." Batman said sternly.

"That's funny, It's working pretty damn good so far." The Joker replied.

"You're insane, not stupid. If you kill the commissioner and I, the police will be in here in full force. You won't get out of this prison alive." Batman's voice was grim.

"Then we have something in common, Batsy." The Joker shot back. "Because you're not leaving here alive either. Face it – you lost. In less than a hour, I'm taking off your mask and blowing your brains out. That's the way it's gotta be; and that'll be enough for me."

"Harley, are you ready to die for this psychopath?" Batman asked, changing tactics.

"Yep." She replied happily.

"Good girl, Harl." The Joker smiled his sinister smile. "It's over Batsy. No one can save you."

"And once I'm dead, the SWAT teams burst in here and kill you." Batman replied.

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong. You remember the secret passageway from the sewer system, don't you? Well after I kill you, Harley and I are heading back down the pipes. We'll be halfway to Metropolis before the cops get in here." The Joker laughed proudly and looked over at the corner of the room with a fond eye. The secret passageway tunnel came out right there, in the warden's office. Right now, the entrance was covered with a rug.

The Joker looked over at the rug with a smile; but that smile quickly died.

Because at that very moment, someone pushed the secret passageway open from the sewer system side. The Joker watched the rug raise into the air as someone opened the hidden hatch. He quickly reached for his gun and aimed it. Well, someone was smart enough to have figured out how the Joker had gotten in – but the moment they appeared they'd be shot.

The Joker took aim. The rug was being pushed away.

"Look out!" Batman shouted. The Joker cursed loudly and fired his gun; but it was too late. Whoever had been pushing the rug up must have fled back down the tunnel.

"DAMN YOU BATMAN!" The Joker yelled loudly as he ran towards the secret passageway. He still had his gun in his hand; but a moment later the rug was covered with black light and shot up off the ground. It wrapped itself around the Joker's head and the clown prince of crime grabbed at the edges trying to throw it off. Harley shouted and jumped up to help him; but the rug was wrapping itself tighter and tighter every second.

Raven floated up out of the tunnel, her hand glowing with the usual light as she did. Starfire was the next out of the tunnel, followed by Tim and finally Barbara.

Batgirl ran across the room without a word and popped a Bat-a-rang from her belt. She quickly severed the ropes around Batman and moved on to James Gordon; there she paused. For a little while there, she thought she was going to lose her adoptive father.

"Thank you." The Commissioner said as she cut his ropes free.

"NO! NO! NO!" The Joker finally managed to get his head free of the rug. "HARLEY!"

Starfire aimed a punch at the Joker, and caught him in his gut. The Joker went stumbling backwards and hit the wall; a look of extreme pain on his face as he fell. Normally Starfire would pull her punches when fighting humans, since her alien strength made them much too powerful. She hadn't in the Joker's case since she remembered what Barbara said about him having shot Robin once before.

While Starfire had been dealing with the Joker, Tim Drake had gone after Harley. He was able to take her down with a simple karate chop; but he hadn't been as fast as Starfire. Harley had done her job. The second the Joker screamed her name out loud, Harley had begun running towards the microphone on the warden's desk. She'd clicked it on and was able to scream out a message before Tim's karate chop took her down.

That message was: "BATMAN'S FREE! RIOT! KILL THE COPS!"

"Great." Tim sighed.

Raven grabbed at her communicator. "Robin, Batman and the Commissioner are safe; but we're about to have real hell in here."

"We're coming in now." Robin replied.

Raven twisted around to Batman and the Commissioner. "Are you two up for a fight?" She asked.

Commissioner Gordon walked across the room and picked up the Joker's gun where he dropped it. "We don't have any other choice now."

No one got another word in. The inmates had all charges the exits of the prison and started opening fire with their weapons. Two Face and the Riddler had made sure every last one of the guards guns, and every backup weapon hidden inside the prison, had been found and given to an inmate. Now there was sheer chaos. The police were opening fire on the outside, using rubber bullets to try to stop the criminals in a non-lethal fashion. The prisoners, most of whom were using real bullets, were firing back.

Raven sighed and headed out of the warden's office, following the others. They had to join the battle and stop the prisoners.

She had no way of knowing just how badly this riot was going to go.

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	27. Worst Case Scenario

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

"Worst Case Scenario"

**A/N**: **_WARNING! THIS CHAPTER SHALL CONTAIN THE SINGLE EVILEST, MEANEST, FOULEST, MOST-SUSPENSEFUL CLIFFHANGER OF THIS STORY! (so far) YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!_** Have a nice day. The pure evilness chapter is dedicated to **Dramaelfie**, and chapter twenty six (which I forgot to dedicated) shall go to **MIDNIGHT-PIXIE**. So there you have it. Now go read the evilness. Mwa hahahahahahahahaha!

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At first, everything seemed quiet on the outside of the prison. Cyborg, Terra and Beast Boy were still sitting in the T-car near the front gates of the prison; police on all sides. The police were set up behind their parked cars, using the car doors as shields and aiming assault rifles at the gates. The SWAT vans were parked; getting ready for the takedown. The SWAT teams could be seen behind the vans, dressing in body armor and loading their weapons. The three titans sat watching the front gate – waiting for a sign.

Robin returned soon. He had stopped off at the Batcave on the way here, claiming he had to "pick something up". The moment Cyborg saw what that something was, he began swimming with jealousy.

Robin had traded the R-Cycle in for a car. _Batman's car._ The infamous Batmobile, considered one of the greatest crime fighting cars of all time, rolled up next to the T-car and Cyborg knew who was inside. He flipped up his arm communicator.

"You know Rob, that's just mean. You _know_ I've always wanted to get behind the wheel of that thing."

Robin's amused voice returned over the communicator. "So have I Cy, so have I."

A moment later the amusement died, however. Raven's voice had just come sailing out of the communicators of each of the Titans. Her message was fast and simple: Batman was safe; but trouble was brewing.

Not even a second after Raven's voice faded away, the front gate of the prison opened. Inmates began pouring out, firing guns as they did. The police were taken off guard and several officers were hit and fell before the cops started returning fire. The prisoners were everywhere in a gigantic riot; and bullets were flying in every direction. Robin could hear the whirl of the bullets as they cut through the air with deadly speed and accuracy.

"Titans, Go!" Robin yelled over the communicator; but it was merely a formality at this point. Everyone was ready for the combat/

The engine of the Batmobile revved up and Robin shot off towards the main gate. The inmates were still pouring out; but Robin and Cyborg were both skilled behind the wheel. They dodged in and out of groups of inmates, getting themselves as close to the prison as they could.

"Dude, what do you think happened in there?" Beast Boy asked as he crawled his way from the back seat to the front passenger seat.

Terra pushed her way closer to the window and rolled it down, and then she extended her left arm out the window. Concentrating with her powers, Terra caused the ground beneath several of the gun-toting prisoners to crumble and break apart; forming a pitfall. The prisoners fell into the pit; becoming a nice little care package for police. Satisfied, Terra returned her attention to the boys and to Beast Boy's question.

"Maybe the Joker caught the others and decided to riot as payback for trying to stop him." She suggested grimly. Beast Boy's face fell.

"Hey, we don't know that." Cyborg responded. "Maybe the others stopped the Joker; and that's what caused the riot."

"It doesn't matter how it started." Robin's voice cut through over the communicator. "Just as long as we stop it."

"How are we gonna get in there?" Cyborg asked. "There's way too many prisoners at the doors Robin; we'd have to run 'em over to get in."

"Not necessarily." Terra grinned. Her hands took on a yellowish-glow and a moment later, a large chunk of the earth rose up from the ground and flew directly towards the wall of the prison. The chunk of rock crashed right through the wall and created a new, prisoner-free entrance.

"Not what I had in mind, but it works." Robin's voice cut over the communicator. "But Terra, let's try to leave the rest of the building undamaged." There was a subtle warning in Robin's tone.

Robin revved up the Batmobile and darted forward through the side of the building before anyone had a chance to get in the way. Cyborg followed closely behind in the T-Car, and once they were through the entrance, each vehicle went a different direction (Robin to the right, Cyborg to the left) and swerved to a stop.

"Titans Go!" Robin yelled as the hood of the Batmobile rose up and he jumped out. "Split up and do whatever you can to contain the rioters!" After his shout, he ran off into the crowd, extending his bo-staff along the way and knocking prisoners down left and right on his way.

The doors of the T-Car were thrust open as the gang inside leapt out. Cyborg stepped out onto the ground and instantly found himself swarmed with enemies. The rioters were like a colony of ants; when startled they would spread out but they quickly returned in full force. Angry inmates, some armed with guns, others totting pieces of brick, glass or metal, had surrounded the T-Car and were moving in for the kill. Cyborg stepped out and aimed his cannon-arm. One of the inmates, a short white man with a double-chinned face and a large stomach, threw a brick at him; it missed and crashed through the driver's window.

"Oh now you gone and done it!" Cyborg fired his cannon at the ceiling. The sonic blast hit and there was a small explosion; chunks of the roof rained down atop the prisoners; rendering several of them unconscious.

On the other side of the car, Beast Boy met with a similar group of foes. One of the prisoners, a tall balding black man with a dirty mustache and a tattoo of a dragon on the side of his face ran at Beast Boy using a shard of broken glass as a knife. Beast Boy transformed himself into a turtle and hid inside the shell as the man brought glass shard down. The glass shattered against the shell and Beast Boy went from turtle to tiger; and pounced onto the man with a roar.

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Robin was running through the crowds of rioters; attacking anyone, he could in an attempt to settle things down. His bo-staff was in hand, and as he ran through the sea of inmates, Robin swung it from left to right, knocking the rioters down. He aimed a blow at the back of a rough-looking Latin man's head; sending him sprawling forward to the ground. Then he whipped it around and tripped a pair of younger thugs with the staff, taking them out of the fight. He was a one-man wrecking crew, fighting his way through an army of enemies.

Robin tore a disc off his belt and tossed it to his left. The disc exploded with a blinding flash of light and several prisoners had to drop their weapons and cover their eyes – and as they did, Robin took each of them down using a combination of martial arts and a few good blows from his bo-staff. However, as he turned around to continue his rampage he himself was caught off guard.

Something heavy smashed into Robin's back and he fell forward onto his face. He rolled onto his side just as the head of a question mark shaped gold cane came smashing down where he had just been. Robin looked up to see the Riddler, grinning in a homicidal fashion.

"Riddle me that, Riddle me this, are you ready to feel death's kiss?" The Riddler laughed and brought the cane down for another blow; Robin blocked it with his bo-staff. The Riddle kept pushing with all of his might and Robin had to strain to keep the staff up. He had blocked the blow that was meant to crush his skull; but now the Riddle was pushing down so hard Robin's bo-staff was being pushed into his throat, choking him. If Robin did not come up with a way out of this soon, he would pass out – and then he would be killed for sure.

A bright green ball of light struck the Riddle in the back; sending him flying forward. His grip on his question mark cane was broken and he released it, allowed Robin the opportunity to fling it away and pushed himself up into a sitting stance. He was panting and trying to catch his breath at first; then he looked up to see Starfire.

There was a moment in which neither of them spoke or moved. They just looked at one another. Robin, still panting, stared at the redheaded alien who'd stolen his heart and he felt all the pain around him dissolve away. It really did amaze him. It sounded cliché, but when she was around, things never looked as bad. She could raise his spirits even in the midst of the bleakest situation. She really was his ideal woman. As a fighter, she was a force to be reckoned with; and as a lover, she was as gentle as a lamb. Somehow, he had been lucky enough to find someone so talented in both worlds. Normally when he looked into her large green eyes, he found silent warmth smoldering beneath them that warmed his soul.

However, as his eyes met Starfire's today, there was no warmth. There was only the bitter chill of a scorned lover. Robin knew then. He knew something was wrong. Was it Barbara? Had she said something? Was his seemingly perfect relationship with the seemingly perfect woman in jeopardy? He did not have answers; and unfortunately, he did not have the time to get them. Not right now anyway.

"Starfire –"

There was a gunshot; a bullet went sailing right between the pair and both of them broke off into battle once again. Starfire turned and hurled a green ball of energy at the shooter; the starbolt knocked him down to the ground and rendered him unconscious. The young lovers decided, without words, that whatever was hanging between them would have to wait for another, safer time.

Starfire did not wish to wait. She wanted to talk to Robin now. He had lied; and she wanted answers. Well . . . part of her did. One part of her wanted answers to her questions; she wanted the truth and she wanted it now. Then again, another part of her was worried deeply about what the truth meant. She had been happy. She and Robin had finally accepted their mutual attraction to one another, and the brief time between the end of the Trials and the beginning of this fiasco had been the best days of her life. Robin was no longer shy or hidden with his emotions towards her; and she was as exuberant as ever.

There was only one word to describe those days. Perfection. She missed them now, and she was worried she'd never feel that perfect feeling again. She thought this because she knew that depending on what Robin had to say about Barbara, and about being shot by the Joker all those years ago, she might have to do the one thing she didn't want to do. The hidden truths, the lies; they could destroy the perfection of their relationship.

Starfire was worried she may have to dump Robin.

If only she could have known – because fate had an even worse twist in store for Starfire.

**

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**

Raven was gliding through the crowds, using her powers to subdue every prisoner she could. It was not difficult on her, and the confusion of the evening was playing in her favor. She used her mental powers to jerk the knives, guns, shards of glass, steel pipes and whatever other weapons the prisoners had found or made right out of their hands. She would send the weapons flying out the windows with one hand, while using the other hand to send powerful blasts of her mind powers at the inmates. The black light bolts knocked them down and usually knocked them out as well.

Most of the prisoners either were taken out too quickly to realize what was going on, or were too terrified to attack Raven. When, on the rare occasion one of them did charge her or try to shoot her; Raven merely blocked the attack by creating a shield of black light and then returned fire with bolts of black energy from her fingertips. The black shots connected with several inmates in their stomachs or heads and sent them sprawling backwards, unconscious.

Raven floated through the sea of inmates, firing her energy shots in every direction and taking down masses from the enemy numbers. The Titans were severely outnumbered, she knew, but they were winning. In the distance she could see the blinding explosions that came from Robin, Batgirl and Batman's various bombs and gadgets. She could hear the sounds of Cyborg's sonic cannon firing, and from the various roars, squawks and the occasional blowing of an elephants trunk; she knew Beast Boy was hard at working fighting. The entire team – not to mention the Gotham locals – was busy in battle, and they were winning. She had been a bit worried at first; the Joker's reputation was legendary, and if he had planned this whole thing a little better then he could have caused real havoc. Fortunately, for the Titans, the Joker had been more worried about his perfect punchline than his jailbreak – and it had cost him.

That's when Raven heard something that caused her to free in mid-air. It was the voice of a young woman, shouting at one of the inmates. The moment the girl's voice reached Raven's ears, she froze in her spot. The voice washed over her body like a freezing wave crashing against the morning shore. Raven's eyes opened wider than normal and they stayed that way.

That sounded like . . . but that was impossible . . . she couldn't be . . .

A prisoner's scream awoke Raven just in time. A large man with a thick mustache was running straight at her, yelling profanities and swinging a kitchen knife above his head. Raven quickly waved a hand in front of her and as her hand passed by it created a trail of black light, which acted like a shield. The man brought the knife down against the black light and it clanged off as if he had hit metal.

Raven was preparing an attack on the man when someone beat her to the punch. A large chunk of rock, which had most likely been ripped right out of the floor, sailed through the air and collided with the back of the man's head. The man grunted and fell down; the rock remained suspended in mid air.

Raven looked straight ahead and her eyes met with Terra's. Terra was standing on a floating piece of the floor, and she stared back for a moment. Terra shifted her weight from one leg to the other, standing awkwardly as she search for words.

_Say something_. Terra urged herself. _Anything's better than silence!_

"Hi." Terra said, awkwardly. _Hi? That's it? Jesus girl, you must be high_

Raven did not quite know how to react. Terra was only a few feet from her – alive, well and apparently back. It was truly the last thing Raven had expected in this kind of situation. Memories filled her mind. Every memory of Terra, from the first time she'd laid eyes on the blonde outside Titan's tower – up to the last time she'd seen her, when Terra was just a statue buried underground.

And memories from the many, many days in-between those two events. Some of the more powerful ones were her betrayal of the Titans, and the effect she'd had over Beast Boy.

_She's decided to come back now? Isn't that just a bit unfair?_ A voice asked. Raven wasn't sure if the voice was in her head, or if it was in the room. It seemed like time and reality had stopped around her. She couldn't think straight enough to realize how dangerous a disembodied voice coming from nowhere could be. _This has to make you feel terrible, eh Raven?_

_I don't know how I feel_. That's what Raven thought when the voice – a calm, cool male's voice, asked her the last question.

_I'd be angry if I was you, Raven. Terra's back, and apparently she's welcomed back or she wouldn't be here. What will Beast Boy say? You and I both know you were his second choice after Terra. Now that she's back, you're going to be yesterdays new—_

_NO! You're wrong._ Raven's mind blazed back instantly, before the male's voice could finish. _Beast Boy loves me._

_Oh please, spare me the melodrama; you're starting to sound like Starfire. Yes, Beast Boy says he loves you – but he loved her first. He wanted Terra from the first second he laid eyes on her – he knew you for years before he even took interest in you. And you know he only took interest in you because you were the only girl who'd have him. Terra was dead, Starfire was Robin's, and none of the girls in Jump City would date a green goofball. But you – well you were the creepy, lonely, pathetic little demon girl. You'd be lucky to have so much as half a green goofball like him. Face it Raven, if he can do better, what makes you think he'd stay with you? Now that she's back, it's only a matter of time before he leaves you. Then you'll be all alone again. _

_That's a lie. You don't know what you're talking about!_ Raven thought back, angrily.

The voice inside her head changed. It was no longer calm and cool; it was filled with a flaming anger. **_It is not a lie, and you know it. Beast Boy will leave you for her; and then you'll have no one. Well, you'll always have me little Raven. You can_**_**never get rid of me**._

Raven's eyes widened as she recognized the angry version of the voice. _No._

**_Yes_**. The voice repeated fiercely inside her head. **_I'm back you little bitch; and it's time I teach you a lesson. You have no idea how inconvenient it is to exist without a body – so I think I'll give you the first hand experience!_**

Raven had just been standing in silence since Terra said hi, and Terra was starting to think something was wrong. Raven didn't speak, she didn't blink, she didn't move – she just stood there staring.

"Umm, Raven? I know this is awkward but –"

Then Raven screamed. It was not just a scream – it was much too horrible to be a simple scream. The horror, pain and terror conveyed in Raven's scream is beyond words – beyond imagination. The only way to experience the fear and panic in her scream is to hear it; which is an unsavory task. Terra dropped to her knees and covered her ears as the unholy sound echoed through the prison, the sound rising above anything else – explosions, gunfire and all other sounds were drowned out by this single, terrifying yell as it galloped from Raven's mouth like a deadly rider into the night.

"Raven!"  
"Rae!"  
"Friend Raven!"

"Whoa!"

Robin had just finished taking care of Two-Face when he heard the scream. He shouted the gothic titan's name out and ran towards her. What could have happened to cause this kind of reaction from Raven?

Beast Boy and Cyborg were still manning their posts at the Batmobile and T-Car. They had taken out several inmates who had attempted to flee out the front, or attack the vehicles. The moment Raven screamed, however, they both twisted in her direction. Beast Boy shouted for her, dread filling his insides, and he became a humming bird and flew towards the sound of the scream. Cyborg followed on foot, no longer caring about his car; his mind focused solely on a friend in trouble.

Starfire had been in mid-flight, dropping Starbolts down on the sea of inmates below her, when the scream reached her ears. She shuddered at the sound and then bolted off in Raven's direction with her eyes burning green with anger towards whatever would cause such pain to her friend.

A circle had formed around Raven and Terra now. Terra stood with a look of mixed confusion and horror on her face; while Raven was down on her knees, screaming for dear life and clutching the sides of her face. The prisoners stood aghast, all of the ones in the circle merely watching – thoughts of rioting and fighting driven out of their head by the sight before them.

The Titans fought their way to the front and all of them stopped at the edge of the circle. Cyborg on the southern end, Starfire flying above the western edge of the circle, Robin at the east, Batgirl, Batman, Tim Drake and Jim Gordon (all of whom had also heard the scream and come to investigate) were at the northern end.

Beast Boy took one look at the sight; he watched as Raven dragged her fingers down the side of her face during the screaming. She was clutching her skin so hard her nails had begun to draw blood. That was all it took. Beast Boy was at Raven's side in a flash, he grabbed her hands away from her face and held them in his own while looking at her.

"Rae! What's wrong? How can I help?" Raven pulled her hands away from him and continued to scream; ignoring him completely. She went back to clawing at her face, and Beast Boy rounded on Terra with teary eyes full of rage.

"What the hell did you DO?" He shouted.

"Nothing! I swear!" Terra replied at once.

"Liar!" Beast Boy shouted back.

Then there was another sound. A horrible gurgling sound. Beast Boy turned back to Raven; she had stopped the screaming and was now doubled over, making gagging noises.

"Raven?" He attempted to touch her back softly; but the moment his hand made contact with her cape there was a flash of black lightning and Beast Boy was hurled backwards, yelping out in pain as it happened.

Raven lifted up onto her knees again and she extended her arms to the side. Her entire body began to shake violently and then she opened her mouth and something came flying from her throat and landed on the ground; it was some kind of ball of glowing black light. Raven's body stopped shaking and her eyes closed. When they opened again; they were different. She now had four glowing red eyes instead of her usual two normal ones.

"Raven?" Robin asked, stepping forward tentatively.

"Nope, guess again." Raven replied. Her voice sounded the same; but at the same time everyone could tell it had changed. It was the same tone, the same pitch but, there was also an underlying chill in her voice that had never been there before.

Beast Boy was back on his feet; slowly walking towards Raven. "Rae, what are you talking about?"

Raven turned to the green boy. "I just told you; I'm not Raven. Raven doesn't live here anymore. I ejected her soul so I'd have more room." Raven extended a hand and pointed down at the glowing black ball of energy – it's color and glow were fading.

"Ejected her soul?" Cyborg repeated, aghast. "What the hell's goin' on?"

Beast Boy's eyes widened a little bit. "If you're not Raven, who are you?" He demanded.

"Oh please, that should be _obvious_." Raven replied. "I'm Trigon the Terrible; naturally."

The reaction was instant. Each of the Titans drew back in horror. Beast Boy shook his head in disbelief.

"No! Trigon's dead!" He shouted.

"My body yes, but the soul lives on. A soul cannot exist for long without a body; but I was able to copy my soul and implant it inside my daughter as a seed. Seeing Terra tonight filled her with enough confusion, bitterness and jealously to awaken that seed and make it grow. Now I'm back, I'm in charge of this body, and Raven's soul is on it's own. Just look at it – already it's fading into nothingness. Soon any trace of my daughter's existence will be gone. But don't be sad, Beast Boy; you'll be dead too."

With that Raven – no, Trigon – flew levitated herself up in the air and extended her arms out above her head; spreading her fingers out wide. Tiny balls of flame exploded from her fingers and began raining down on the dozens of prisoners who stood staring with aghast faces. The balls of flame were very small; no bigger than dimes. However, when one of the balls landed on one of the inmates he burst into flames and burnt into a pile of ashes before he could even utter a final scream. Everyone seemed to scream at this point and begin running in every direction. Chaos and panic took over as more of the tiny balls landed on people and they too suffered the same fate as the first inmate.

"Titans Go!" Robin yelled, going for one of his bombs.

"NO!" Beast Boy shouted even louder. He tackled Robin down and Robin's bomb went off course. Instead of hitting Trigon it flew across the room and exploded on a group of inmates.

"Beast Boy!" Robin shouted, horrified.

"He's inside Raven's body; if you blow him up, Raven's gonna die!" Beast Boy yelled back. "We gotta save Raven's soul first; then we'll deal with Trigon!"

"If we don't stop Trigon now, we could all die!" Robin argued back.

"And if we waste time, Raven **will** die!" Beast Boy snapped. "Please Robin, help me!" Beast Boy's voice was halfway between begging and demanding. Robin sighed and knew what he had to do. Raven's soul was the priority. It would have to be.

"Call off your friend, man!" Before Robin had a chance to speak again, one of the prisoners had stepped forward. He held a gun in his hand and he was aiming it at Starfire, who was the closest of the Titans to him. "Make that creepy bitch stop throwing those fireballs man, or I'm taking you all out!"

"Sir, please calm down, we are attempting –" Starfire began to say, floating towards the inmate -- but he was too scared of everything and the moment Starfire started in his direction he squeezed the trigger and shot her in the chest.

Starfire's large green eyes widened as a white-hot flash of pain filled every inch of her body. Starting in her chest and zipping out to every section of her being; all she could feel was blazing pain, and then nothing. She fell backwards and landed on the ground.

The man who shot her also landed on the ground; because Cyborg shot him with his sonic cannon. Robin forgot all about Trigon, and Raven's soul, and everything else going on around him. For a moment all he could do was stand and watch as the woman he loved was shot; then he ran to her side and tried to catch her.

He failed.

She hit the ground, and he quickly scooped her up in his arms and cradled her against his chest. "Starfire! Starfire! Wake up! Look at me!"

"Ro. . . bin." Starfire whispered weakly. Her eyes remained closed, but she said his name.

She was still alive!

But judging from her wound; that could change at any second.

From high above, Trigon watched with satisfaction as several more inmates burst into flames. He also witnessed the shooting of Starfire; which only added to his sick pleasure. He charged a ball of flame in his hand, not a dime sized one, but a full-grown fireball, and prepared to drop it right atop Robin and the injured Starfire when he felt something.

The presence of another demon. He could sense that there were at least three other pureblooded demons in Gotham City – and judging from the way they felt, they were all his children.

"That's interesting." Trigon whispered to himself. He decided it was time he take Raven's body for a little test drive through Gotham; to find the other demons.

"Farewell Titans, it's been fun!"

Trigon turned and lobbed the fireball through the wall, completely destroying the eastern wall of the prison. Several flaming bricks fell and crushed several inmates to death on the inside; while the same happened to the unsuspecting police outside. Trigon levitated up and flew off into the night.

Back inside the wreckage of the prison, the Titans were in bad shape. Beast Boy was holding Raven's soul in his hand. It was still warm; it felt like he was holding a plate that had just been taken out of the microwave. That is to say, it was hot – but it was cooling quickly. Beast Boy didn't want to know what happened to Raven when he soul lost it's warmth.

Not far away, Robin continued to cradle Starfire's body. It was also becoming cold.

"Starfire, don't die. You can't die. I need you." Robin had broken down. No longer was he Robin; the boy wonder, the fearless leader of the Teen Titans. Now he was just Dick Grayson, a teenage boy whose girlfriend was dying in his arms.

Terra dropped down to her knees, tears flooding down the side of her face. _This is my fault._ She realized as a horrible knot formed in the pit of her stomach. _This is all my fault._

Of course, this was just the beginning of the bad news. A limousine was arriving in another part of Gotham at that very moment, and Dr. Philip Cobalt and his boss were arriving from Metropolis. Sadira and Azarock had felt the tremors of demonic power in the air and both of them had gone berserk upon the realization of their father's return.

**

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	28. Expect The Unexpected

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

"Expect the Unexpected"

**A/N**: I tried to update as quickly as possible to make up for the sheer evilness of the last cliffhanger. This chapter shall be dedicated to **Inuluvsu** on who has been reading and reviewing for a long time; thank you very much dude! Well, onto chapter twenty-eight. Trust me, this one will be shocking. Just keep reading the whole thing; okay?

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The mood was somber and the room was silent. No one spoke to, or even looked at, one another as the entire team, save Robin, Starfire and Terra, gathered inside the Batcave.

Starfire was asleep now; her condition critical but stabilized. After the incident, Robin had gone ballistic. First, he had rushed to Starfire's side and held her unconscious body to his chest. His tears stained her forehead as he cried; and her blood stained his clothes as he held her. After she refused to wake up he'd assumed her dead and he attacked the prisoner who had shot her. The prisoner had already been taken down by Cyborg; but that didn't prevent Robin from attacking him on the ground. Robin beat the man savagely before Batman was able to wrestle his former sidekick off the man.

The gang cleared out of the prisoner after that. It wasn't an easy trip. Robin was disgruntled, angry and unruly. He only calmed down after Barbara examined Starfire and found that she was still breathing and could still be saved. Robin rode in the back of the Batmobile, holding Starfire and praying she'd survive. Robin wasn't the only problem, though.

Beast Boy was just as big of an issue. His girlfriend's body was now the ultimate weapon of destruction; and home to the vilest enemy the Teen Titans had ever faced: Trigon the Terrible. He had Raven's soul in his hands, and while he believed Raven could still be saved; he didn't know how he could save her. The shining black orb that was Raven's existence shimmered dully in his hands and at first he'd felt a blazing heat whenever he held it. It had been so hot he had to wrap it in his shirt. Now, however, it was cooling. What had once been searing heat now felt like a plate that had been in the microwave too long – and it was getting cooler by the minute. Beast Boy was afraid of what the loss of heat could mean. Was Raven fading?

The person who seemed most effected by everything, however, was not Robin or Beast Boy. It was Terra. She rode in the T-Car with Cyborg, Barbara and Beast Boy on the way back. Beast Boy sat in the front and spent the entire time looking at the black orb-like soul in his hands. Cyborg was concentrating on his driving – or so he claimed. It was obvious to everyone that what he was really thinking about. His two best friends, Robin and Beast Boy, were both on the edge of losing the person they loved most in the world. Cyborg had always been there for both of them. He'd always stood by the boy wonder and the changeling through thick and thin; and they needed his help and comfort now. The problem was Cyborg couldn't think of anything to do or say that could provide even the slightest level of comfort.

Terra didn't notice Cyborg's predicament. She only noticed her own. She was to blame. If she hadn't returned, then Raven wouldn't have lost control and her father never would have taken over her body; and had Trigon not returned when he did, Starfire wouldn't have been shot. Terra wasn't quite sure what to do. She knew something now. This was confirmation of her worst fear.

She was bad luck.

It sounded like lunacy; but she knew it was true. Her childhood in Russia, he time traveling the world with her uncontrollable powers, being used by Slade, being incased in hardened lava, being awakened and used as a science project – and now, somehow finding herself back with the Titans. Throughout everything people around her had horrible luck. The Titans had gone through hell because of her the first time around. The scientist in Metropolis had all been brutally killed because someone freed her. And now Raven and Starfire were going to die; and that was her fault too. Raven never liked Terra; but Terra still felt horrible at Raven's current predicament. And Starfire – Starfire had loved Terra.

As a child on Tamaran, Starfire had been best friends with the daughter of one of the palace maids. Starfire's friend had a sister, who had also been a friend. Starfire had watched the two sisters together and wished she had a sister like that – instead of her actual sister, who had treated Starfire like dirt even in those days. When Starfire had met Terra; it was like she'd finally found the sister she'd always wanted.

Terra had treated Starfire the same way – and now Starfire was bleeding to death; and it was Terra's fault. Just like everything else was Terra's fault.

_I deserve to die._ Terra thought. _No. No I deserve to live in pain. I should be tortured or jailed._

Then they'd arrived. Starfire was taken to the Batcave where Alfred wasted no time in starting her surgery. Alfred Pennysworth may have looked like an ordinary gentleman's gentleman; but the butler was far more than that. He had worked for the British Secret Intelligence for many years in his youth. He was a skilled in martial arts, modern medicine and electronics. These things had helped Bruce Wayne a number of times over the years in his crusades as Batman. Now Alfred was hard at work trying to remove the bullet from Starfire's chest.

The rest of the group, aside from Robin and Terra, had gathered in the Batcave's main chamber where the large monitors and computers were set up. Batman sat in his swivel chair in front of the main computer system; and the others were standing around him. Batman spent the first few minutes typing in silence and the next few making phone calls. Everyone else just stood and half-listened to what the Dark Knight was doing. Each of them was lost in his or her own thoughts.

Barbara was thinking about Robin and Starfire. Cyborg was thinking about Robin and Beast Boy. Beast Boy was thinking about Raven. Finally, after a while, the computer monitors on the wall all switched on. Each of them displayed a different person – and none of the people on the wall were strangers. Each of them was a superhero from somewhere in the world; all contacted by Batman. None of the Titans knew why they were contacted until Batman turned to the somber group.

"I realize this is a hard time for you all; but we have a serious problem. Trigon's return is a danger to this entire planet. We have a responsibility to stop him – and that has to be our priority above everything else. Billions of lives depend on it." Batman said in a no-nonsense tone. "You all have a duty to those people. That's what this business is about; saving those innocent lives. As painful as it is, we have to put them ahead of our personal problem. If you can't do that; then leave now. If you stay, you have to be dedicated to this one hundred percent."

No one replied to him; and no one left.

"Good." Batman turned back to the screen. "The demon lord Skat, also called Trigon the Terrible, has returned to life. He's possessed the body of his daughter, the Teen Titans Raven, and now he's on the loose. For some reason, he seems to be lying low right now. Trigon has been trying to reach the planet earth for years; now he's here. There has to be a reason he hasn't begun his destruction of the planet; and if we can find that reason we might be able to stop him."

"The reason he hasn't done anything is because Raven won't let him."

All of the people in the room turned; Robin was standing in the doorway. His face wore a determined expression that seemed every bit as grave and somber as that of his former mentor. Terra followed him into the room, her blonde hair falling over her face and her head down.

"What do you mean?" Tim Drake asked, looking up at his counterpart.

"Raven's soul is no longer in it's body; but that doesn't mean Raven's beaten." Robin replied. "Trigon was able to separate her spirit from it's body; but he couldn't completely sever the bond. It's impossible to completely sever the bond between soul and body; Raven still has some influence over her body. She can't control it, and she can't force Trigon out – but until Raven's spirit has completely lost its powers, Trigon's true power can't manifest itself inside Raven's body. Trigon can't unlock his full powers. Without a body, Raven's soul is slowly dying. When her soul dies; Trigon will have full control over her body and he'll be able to unleash all of his powers. If that happens, we won't be able to him and Earth _will_ be annihilated. However, if we can find him while Raven's soul is still alive; then we might be able to defeat Trigon _and_ recover Raven's body."

"Dude, how do you know all this stuff?" Beast Boy asked, astonished.

"Raven told me." Robin said quietly. "After we defeated Trigon; when we first got back from Tamaran. When she thought Trigon was dead. She told me all of her fears about him, and she told me all about what he could and the different ways he could do it. She never imagined this would actually happen; but she knew it _could_." Robin could see a look in Beast Boy's eyes. He has another question; one he wanted to ask Raven. He obviously wanted to know why Raven chose to confide in Robin when they got back. Robin knew the answer to this too. Raven had needed to talk to someone about the many burdens she'd carried for so many years; but she didn't feel right talking to Beast Boy about something so grim. She preferred, though she'd never admit it, to talk about anything else with Beast Boy – he cheered her up, so she didn't want to bring him down.

"There's something else." Robin announced. "It's risky, but it may be our only chance. If Raven's soul dies before we find and stop Trigon; he'll be able to unleash his full powers and destroy the earth. We can only stop Raven's soul from dying by finding it a body to live in until we can recover her real body. We'd need someone to let Raven's soul share a body with their own."

"What?" Barbara blinked, astonished. "How is that possible?"

"All they have to do is hold the orb." Robin replied, pointing down at the black orb in Beast Boy's hands. "Then it's up to Raven. I'm assuming the reason you haven't already entered someone's body is because you were waiting to see if I'd remember our talks and come up with a better solution, isn't that right Raven?" Robin looked down at the orb.

"Wait, she can hear us?" Cyborg asked.

"Oh yeah. Every word." Robin replied. "Raven. Someone here has already volunteered to let you share their body."

"Who?" Beast Boy asked. Robin looked over his shoulder towards the corner of the room. The corner Terra was standing in.

"No way." Beast Boy snapped at once when he realized Terra had made the offer. "No way in hell."

"I want to help Beast Boy!" Terra shouted from the corner. It was clear from the tone of her voice that she was fighting back tears. "Let me do this! Raven can live in my body as long as she needs too. It's my fault this happened to her, so let me make it up to her."

"DAMN RIGHT IT'S YOUR FAULT!" Beast Boy yelled at the top of his lungs. Beast Boy hated being serious like this. It went against his natural personality; but in this case, there was no choice. "I don't want anything more to do with you; and I sure as hell don't want Raven's soul in your body."

"It isn't your choice." Robin said firmly.

"Dude, you know what's happening to Raven; now isn't the time to tell me what to do." Beast Boy snapped.

"Garfield." Robin replied in a quiet, dangerous voice. "Right now Starfire is fighting for her life in surgery, and instead of being at her bedside I'm here offering you a way to save Raven's soul. Don't you _dare_ take that tone with me, do you understand?"

Beast Boy hesitated. He and Robin were in the same boat. He dropped his head and became silent.

"Like I said, the choice isn't yours. It's Raven's. She can hear us, she heard Terra's offer. All you have to do is hand Raven's soul to Terra. If Raven wants to go through with this, she'll enter Terra's body. If not, she won't. It's simple." Robin finished.

Beast Boy was hesitant. He walked across the room, clutching the black orb of Raven's soul tightly in his hands. When he arrived in front of Terra he stood for a moment, staring at her. Her head was down, and her honey-blonde hair fell over one of her eyes covering it from view. She wouldn't look at his face. Beast Boy didn't like this idea – but at the same time, he did. If Terra was sincere about helping Raven, then Beast Boy could forgive her. However, he was beginning to hate the very sight of her.

Not because he believed Terra was evil. Nor because of their past together. He had merely learned that she was bad luck; and he wanted nothing more to do with her. However, she seemed to sincerely want to help Raven – and since his only other option was to let Raven die, Beast Boy had no choice. He handed her Raven's soul orb.

Terra held the black orb for a moment in her hands. She was holding her breath – and so was nearly everyone else in the room. For a moment it looked like Raven had rejected the idea; opting to take her chances with eternal demise than share a body with Terra. However, just as it seemed like that was the case, there was a bright flash of black light and the orb was gone. Terra stumbled backwards as if she'd been punched in the face. Then she straightened up again.

"Terra?" Beast Boy whispered.

"I don't feel any different." Terra replied. Suddenly Terra's eyes changed. She closed them, and when she opened them again they were different. They were Raven's eyes now.

"Nice going Robin." Raven's voice came from Terra's mouth. "This is _so_ much better."

"Rae?" Beast Boy blinked, astonished. The voice coming from Terra's body sounded like Raven; and it sure had her sarcasm.

"Yeah." Raven replied. "I'm in here."

Terra's eyes closed again; when they opened they had returned to normal. "This is strange." Terra said. She blinked again; and once again Raven's eyes were staring out of Terra's body.

"At least you're in your own body." Raven replied to Terra. "Look, we'll work out the kinks of this in a little while. First we have to deal with my father."

Terra walked across the room and stood next to Batman. She turned so that everyone from the Titans, to Gotham's finest and the superheroes on the computer monitors could all see her. Then Raven continued speaking.

"There's a reason Trigon hasn't begun his assault of earth yet. Until my soul is destroyed, he can't manifest his full powers in my body. That doesn't mean he's not a danger, though. He still has all of my powers; and most of his own. His powers are limited, but he can still use them. And since he has my body, it'll be a lot easier for him to blend in and hide." Raven informed them of this grim news; and then she told them something even worse. "That isn't why he isn't attacking, though. I know Trigon. He'd begin his assault even if he couldn't use his fullest potential. He's been after the Earth for too long. There has to be another reason for him to be hiding. I'm not sure what that reason is; but it could mean we're dealing with someone else as well."

"This might all be connected." One of the men on the monitors – a black-haired man wearing glasses – said. "A group of scientist were murdered recently here in Metropolis; they worked for a man named – "

"Dr. Philip Cobalt. Yeah, we know Clark." Batman cut him off. "Cobalt was working on bringing Terra back to life. How did you know about that?"

Clark's eyes widened a bit. "Cobalt's been working for Luthor Corp ever since you fired him." The man on the monitor – Clark – responded. "According to my sources, Cobalt was seen getting into Luthor's private limousine a few hours ago. They're on their way to Gotham, Bruce."

"Cobalt's coming here?" Terra instantly burst out, fear clouding her voice.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You mean Lex Luthor, the Joker and Trigon are all connected?" Cyborg asked, his face looking worried.

"I doubt it." Raven replied from inside Terra. "Luthor probably wanted to bring Terra back for her powers; we know Cobalt was interested in her blood, and Terra's powers come from her blood. The Joker was just an enemy of opportunity – he has nothing to do with Trigon or Luthor; and Trigon used Luthor's scheme to his advantage; but he wasn't part of planning it."

Terra, however, disagreed. "I don't know about that Raven."

"What do you mean?"

"Somebody butchered Cobalt's scientists; but they spared me. And because of that, I came back to you guys and gave Trigon a chance to resurface. Somebody might have done that _because_ they knew Trigon's seed was in you; because they wanted Trigon to return." Terra explained. It seemed weird, since it looked like Terra was talking to herself – but every time the person speaking switched, the eyes would change.

"So whoever freed Terra from Cobalt did it because they wanted Trigon to take control of Raven's body?" Beast Boy blinked.

"That . . . we might have a problem." Raven announced. "There is someone who could have pulled all of this off; someone who could have been pulling the strings behind this entire charade. One of my father's _other_ children might be doing it."

Only Raven seemed to realize the danger of this theory. There was no hushed silence, no panicked paused. None of them knew how potentially deadly one of her siblings could be.

"Why?" Tim asked.

"For power." Raven explained, beginning to understand what was really going on. "If my soul is destroyed, then Trigon will be able to manifest his full powers inside my body. Then, if it is one of Trigon's other children, they could kill Trigon and absorb both his powers and mine – and they'd become a super demon."

"Wait, you mean all this stuff that's happened since we got back from Tamaran has just been the plot of some crazy sibling of yours?" Beast Boy asked.

"Probably." Raven replied.

"Dude, Rae, I love you; but your family sucks." Beast Boy sighed.

"At least we have some idea what we're dealing with now –" Robin started to say; but he was cut off mid-sentence. A loud noise was echoing through the cavern. The noise was the sound of a flat-line on a heart monitor. Robin's eyes widened in horror and he turned and ran through the darkness. The others all followed him in stride as they realized what this could mean.

Thoughts were swimming through Robin's head; but he couldn't bear to think they were true. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him until he arrived in another part of the cave. There was a bed set up; the bed Starfire was lying in. Alfred stood over her with a saddened look on his face. The machine that monitored her heart _was_ flat lining. Robin stopped dead in his tracks.

"No . . ."

He fell to his knees. It was too late.

Starfire was dead.

For a moment, everyone looked at the bed in horror. The beautiful Tamaranian princess was lying on her back, still covered in blood from her operation. Her big green eyes were closed and she looked peaceful.

Then she burst into flames. Everyone in the room either gasped or screamed and took a step away from the bed; except for Robin who was too horrified to do anything.

Raven took control of Terra's body and the eyes widened in horror. She realized what was going on at once. Above the flaming body, several strange runes appeared in the sky above the flaming Starfire.

"It's a demonic ritual." Raven announced in a shaky voice. "Someone's trying to bring her back to life."

A moment later, the flames vanished; and Starfire opened her eyes. The blood that covered her shirt was gone. The hole from the bullet and the cuts from Alfred's surgery were gone. Even the hole in her purple shirt was gone. She was every bit as healthy as she had been before the shooting.

Starfire opened her eyes wide and sat up in the bed. She looked over at Robin; who was still on his knees. He stared back at her for a moment before doing something very un-Robin-ish. He jumped across the room and hugged her so quickly and so tightly, it reminded the others of the hugs she often gave him.

"Starfire." He whispered in her ear. He had lost all control of himself. Robin was the always cool, always-in-control leader of the Teen Titans; usually. Today, however, he did not give a damn about that. He broke down squeezing Starfire tightly.

"Robin, what has happened?" Starfire asked, using her superior strength to push him away. "How did we get here? Why are we not at the prison? Why are you crying?"

"He's crying tears of joy because you're alive, Starfire. Though I'm sure that's about to change."

A cold, familiar voice echoed through the room. Even before they all turned around in horror; the Teen Titans knew who that voice belonged too. It was a voice engraved in their minds – and there was no mistaking it.

Everyone in the room turned to the entrance of the Batcave. Each member of the Teen Titans had the same horrified look in their eyes. Beast Boy's jaw dropped. Cyborg ran a systems check just to make sure he wasn't malfunctioning. Starfire's eyes widened and she became even more confusion than she had been. Terra was controlling the body now, and her face broke into a look of pure, sheer terror.

Robin was horrified beyond words. It was like seeing a ghost; again.

There was a man standing at the entrance. He was tall, and dressed in a dark trenchcoat. His face was well-aged; he had a short gray beard and mustache. He also had an eye-patch which he wore over his left eye. None of the Titans, save Robin and Starfire, had ever seen the man's face before; and they had only seen what was left of that face after Starfire had beaten the hell out of the man. Robin had last seen it after he used a bird-a-rang to kill the man who stood before him, back in the Cavern of Trials on Tamaran.

"Relax." Slade laughed as he walked down the steps and moved closed to the group. "I come in peace."

"Funny, but for some reason I don't believe that." Robin snapped.

"It was you." Raven interrupted. "You preformed the ritual on Starfire. You brought her back from the dead."

"What?" Starfire shrieked.

"Impossible!" Robin yelled nearly as loud.

"Correct Raven." Slade replied, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Without waiting, be began to explain. "If you recall, Trigon the Terrible gave me demonic powers after he revived me from my first downfall at Terra's hands. In order to do that he had to construct for me my very own soul-self. Yes; I have a soul-self just like you and Trigon do, Raven. Robin may have killed me on Tamaran; but he did not destroy my soul-self – he didn't even realize I had one. That's what gives me my demon powers, that's what allowed me to return from the dead once again. I am not a man, not anymore. I'm a demon; and thus I am the one who used the demonic ritual to revive Starfire."

Slade walked across the room, an amused smile on his face. He stopped in front of Batman. "You did a good job on the boy; I can't even count how many times he's impressed me."

Batman didn't reply.

"What do you want Slade?" Robin demanded.

"Revenge, of course." Slade replied. Robin went for his bo-staff, but Slade laughed. "Against Trigon, not you. That bastard double-crossed me; and I want to make him pay for it. I don't have the power to do that alone, though – but if I had your help that would be another story."

Robin narrowed his eyes. "What makes you think we'd help you?"

"I just brought Starfire back to life." Slade replied. "I'm sure that right you either think I plan to use you to exact my revenge on Trigon before turning on your; or you believe I'm still working with Trigon and this is all part of an elaborate trap – but you're wrong. I didn't bring Starfire back to life so you'd trust me; and I didn't do it so you'd help me. I did it because I wanted revenge on you too, Robin. And I got it." Slade's face was twisted with a sick grin.

"The hell you did." Robin replied.

"Oh really? If it wasn't for me Starfire would be dead right now. You would have lost her forever. You owe me, Robin. From this day forward, every time you kiss her, or hug her, or look at her – you remember that the only reason she's alive is because Slade Wilson saved her. The only reason you can still see the person you love the most is because the person you hate the most saved her. That's the best revenge I could ever have against you, Robin."

Robin didn't know how to respond to that; so he said nothing. He couldn't stand to admit it; but Slade was right. Starfire would be gone if it wasn't for him. Nothing could be more ironic, or disturbing, in Robin's mind than this truth.

"Now I believe it's time we get down to business. Raven's theory is correct. The demons Sadira and Azarock, two of Trigon's children, are here on earth. Trigon must have sensed them at the prison; that's why he ran from all of you."

"How do you know any of that?" Beast Boy demanded.

"I've been watching things unfold for quite some time now. Everyone seems to be playing a different side. You see what neither Trigon, nor Azarock and Sadira are aware of is there is another demon here. Judging from the way he moves he is defiantly one of Trigon's children, and he is stronger than the other two. He was the one who killed Cobalt's scientists in Metropolis – yes Terra, I know all about that too – and has been watching both you titans and the other demons. Once while watching him he spoke to himself and referred to himself as 'The Great Magus'; so I'm guessing that is his name." Slade explained to the Titans.

"You seem to have all the answers." Batman pointed out. "What about Cobalt and Luthor? How do they fit into this?"

"That demon, Magus, was the one who murdered Cobalt's staff and freed Terra. Probably for the reasons Raven already guessed – to force a reunion between you two and give Trigon a chance to possess your body, Raven" Slade replied to Batman; but turned to face Terra (and Raven inside her) halfway through his response. "Luthor knows nothing of the demons; he just wants Terra so he can build an army of people with powers like her own. Not a bad idea, actually."

"How can you be sure?" Terra demanded. Just like Robin, Terra was horrified to see Slade – and even more horrified at the idea of working with him.

"Because my dear Terra, I was watching as I said before." Slade turned his eye to her. "I saw him murder those people and free you."

"Then Magus is the one behind all of this?" Beast Boy asked, he was becoming confused. "

"There is no one mastermind behind it all." Slade replied. "Magus is trying to manipulate circumstances so that he can kill Trigon inside Raven's body and absorb the powers of both Trigon and Raven. Sadira and Azarock just want Trigon's powers; they don't care how they get them or from who. Luthor's plan was to use Terra to build his own private army. And Trigon wants to annihilate the human race and eat our planet. You've got a lot of very evil people each scheming towards their own goals."

"I see you left yourself off the list." Robin snapped.

"You're beginning to irritate me Robin." Slade replied, turning on the boy. "Yes, I am evil. Yes, I have my own evil plans. None of that matters today, though. Trigon will annihilate this planet if he wins. The same goes for his children. I can't very well make my own plans work if everyone on the planet is eaten or killed, can I? Face facts; we're both fighting the same people, and neither of us can win alone."

"I don't want your help, and I don't need it." Robin shot back.

"Wrong. You can't defeat Trigon _or_ the other demons unless you have a demon of your own to use to fight their soul-selves. Raven is currently stuck in Terra's body and her powers are useless, which means you need a new demon ally. I have the powers of a demon; but I can't fight Trigon alone. Together we give one another what we need; and we may have the power to defeat the demons. Besides – it's so much fun to see you suffer while having to work with me." Slade was being brutally honest. He was evil, he was planning something, and he needed help from the Teen Titans.

And the worst part, Robin knew, was that they had no choice but to agree.

"Fine." Robin sighed, dropping his head. "What's the plan?"

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**A/N**: Not a very "action-packed" chapter; but I'm willing to bet you were shocked when Starfire died; and equally surprised when Slade returned and brought her back. However the real shock in this chapter was the lack of a cliffhanger – see, I can be nice.

Although the next chapter **will** have a cliffhanger; literally. And you'll see what I mean by that later on. Now for review replies! Chapter twenty-seven was the most reviewed chapter of the story so far; THANK YOU!


	29. Sword Fights And A Hero's Plight

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

"Sword Fights and a Hero's Plight"

**A/N**: Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water . . . CLIFFIFE WARNING! But hey, the good news is the action picks up again in this chapter. This chapter dedicated to **_Roi-Tan_**, who left the **200th Review** on Awesome dude; thank you very much. I'm also dedicating it to **Winter**. Thanks for comin' and being our Raven in the Teen Titans RP; you are a real lifesaver m'dear. In addition, a special thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday. Also a quick note on updates: from now on this story shall update on **Fridays**. The reason for this is I'm getting out of physical therapy soon, and will be going back to school soon; so my writing time will be cut short. No worries, though, you'll still get new chapters every Friday; and the story is still far from over.

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"Trigon's still weak. As long as Raven's soul is in existence, Trigon cannot use his full powers. We have to be the ones to make the first move; or we'll have lost before the battle even begins." Slade explained. The entire group was gathered once again around Batman's computer monitors. However, this time it was not Batman who stood making plans; it was Slade. Slade had taken charge as he explained his plans to his once-enemies-turned-allies.

"The best approach is for us to split off into two groups. The first group must be a large group; and their sole duty will be to protect Terra; and Raven's soul." Slade continued. "That group should remain here; we'd be hard pressed to find anyplace safer than the Batcave. Batman, I'll leave you in charge of that group. You're experience and local knowledge of this cave make you the obvious choice. Of course, Terra will have to be a part of it – and I'm sure Beast Boy will want to stay here."

Slade knew the titans so well he could read their reactions before he even finished speaking. He could predict them so utterly correctly that none of them even needed to speak; he already knew what they'd say. It caused Robin a lot of discomfort to think Slade was this well educated on them.

Robin was sitting at the round table in the room; Starfire at his left, Slade to his right, and Batman sitting across from him. He never thought he'd be sitting in-between the three biggest influences on his life. Batman, Starfire and Slade – the three people who made his life complete. It seemed like all the roads he'd ever traveled down always seemed to intertwine with at least one of them. It was both wonderful and disturbing.

"The second team will be an attack squad. This team's sole purpose will be to find Trigon the Terrible and stop him before he can manifest his full powers. I will lead this squad."

"No." Robin said at once. Even if they were allies now; it wasn't by choice. Robin didn't want Slade in charge of any squad.

"You don't get a choice, Robin. With Raven out-of-commission, I'm the only one capable of sensing Trigon's location." Slade replied smugly.

Robin narrowed his eyes. Once again, Slade was correct. There was nothing Robin could do and no comeback he could make, so he fell into silence again.

"The attack squad should be small. We will need the element of surprise if we are going to eject his soul-self from Raven's body. Therefore this squad will be made only of Robin, Starfire and myself." Slade turned his eye on the boy wonder, but Robin did not have anything to say about this. "Now for the cold-truth I know none of you want to hear."

Slade snapped his fingers and flames sprouted from his fingertips. The embers flew into the air and made a demonic rune. No one, save Raven, knew what it was. Slade instantly launched back into his explanations. "If we are able to eject Trigon's soul-self from Raven's body; I can destroy it with my demon powers and put an end to Trigon forever. However, forcing Trigon to leave Raven's body will not be easy. If we fail, there is one simple, cold fact all of you will have to accept. If we cannot eject Trigon from Raven's body; we must destroy Raven's body."

At once, there was an out roar. Robin slammed his fist down and flat-out refused to hear anymore. Beast Boy shouted for Slade to go to hell, and then let out a long slew of profanities. Starfire began to speak, her words equally hostile but a bit more polite, when Raven made her voice heard. Raven took control of the body she now shared with Terra and she said in her usual grave tone two words that stopped all of the noise.

"Slade's right."

All of her friends stopped. Eyes were wide, mouths were open and Beast Boy looked like he was ready to have a heart attack.

"Rae, tell me I heard you wrong—"

"You didn't Beast Boy. Slade _is_ right. My father must be stopped at all costs; even if that means destroying my body." Raven's eyes held sadness to them as she spoke these words; but they also held an unquestionable determination.

"Raven." Terra was in control of the body again. "Listen, maybe you should go with Beast Boy on this one. I mean . . . if you lose your body then . . . I didn't think this would be permanent, Raven. I mean, you don't want to stay inside me forever, I _know_ that – and –"

"Don't worry Terra, if we have to destroy my body I'll figure something else out for my soul. You're right, I don't want to stay inside you forever." Raven cut her off. The eyes changed back to Terra's, and she bit her lip. When Raven next took control of the body her eyes looked apologetic.

"I'm sorry. That came out wrong." Raven whispered.

"No . . . it's fine. I understand. I don't blame you for the way you feel about me. I . . . I can't even imagine how hard this is on you after –"

"Ladies." Slade interrupted. "Save the teenage angst for later; stopping Trigon is more important than your petty problems."

Terra and Raven's conversation ended. Raven's eyes faded away and Terra merely glared at Slade with the utmost hatred in her glance. She could not believe how horrible her luck was. She had been revived as part of Lex Luthor's insane plans, she had come between Raven and Beast Boy; though she hadn't meant too, she was once again working with Slade, and to top it all off she had an angry gothic ghost trapped inside her. What a life.

"Now. If we are all agreed, I suggest we start searching for Trigon now. Every second wasted is one more chance for him to prevail over us." Slade grimly stated. "Robin, Starfire, I'm sure you'd like a chance to say your goodbyes to your friends; I'll be waiting outside. You have five minutes."

Without another word, Slade turned and made his way back towards the exit of the Batcave. His feet clopped against the cold stone floors in the eerie silence of the room. Robin did not like this. The moment Slade was out of earshot; nearly everyone began speaking.

"Screw him, there's no way we're going along with his plans!" Beast Boy yelled the loudest.

"There's gotta be another way to track Trigon without his help." Cyborg added. "Give me some time, I'm sure Batman and I can hook up a machine too—"

"We don't have any time." Robin interrupted. "I hate to say this, but Slade's right."

"What?" Beast Boy looked shocked. His mouth was agape and his eyes were bulging. "Robin, dude, tell me you're not about to suggest we work with Slade! Please tell me anything but that!"

"Beast Boy." Raven was in control of the body again. "Robin's right. I'm fine as long as I'm in Terra's body; and my father can't unleash his full powers as long as I'm still alive. It won't take him long to realize that something's wrong with his plan; and when he does he'll have to find me. I know Trigon; he'll start killing innocent people to lure me out of hiding. You met him on Tamaran; you know what kind of sick tricks he uses. The sooner we stop him; the more lives we save. If that means working with Slade . . . so be it."

"Hey." It was Robin's turn to speak again. "I'm not saying we trust Slade. We all know he has his own objective. I don't care what he says; he'll turn on us the first chance he gets. Still, _he needs us_ to stop Trigon. If he betrays us before we defeat Trigon; he's only putting himself at a disadvantage."

"Maybe." Cyborg stood up. There was something on his mind; and it was making him uneasy about this whole thing. "_If_ Slade really wants to stop Trigon. Robin, how do we know Slade came back the way he said he did? How do we know Trigon didn't bring him back, again? This could all be a trap."

"No." Robin replied. "If that was the case, Slade would want Raven to come with us. Trigon's entire objective is to destroy Raven's soul, right? So if this was a trap Slade would want Raven as part of the attack squad – or he'd want her less guarded."

Cyborg sighed. That made some sense. He was still worried about everything, though. Just as he let himself sank back down into the chair, Batman rose.

"We don't have time to worry about this now. Robin's right. We've been dealt a tricky hand, but we have to play it. Right now we're just going to have to trust that Robin and Starfire will be able to handle themselves. The rest of us need to focus on keeping Terra and Raven's soul safe. When and if the time comes that Slade betrays us; we'll deal with him."

Robin looked over at his former mentor and he felt a lump of something rise in his chest. As horrible as this day was; he had to admit at that moment he felt proud. Robin was a true leader; and he knew that now. Even Batman, his mentor and teacher, was following his lead. This was not just about the Teen Titans anymore. This was about the fate of the entire world – and Robin's decisions were the ones people were following. It was an awesome responsibility; but somehow Robin felt at peace with it.

"Are you ready?"

Slade had returned. Their time was up; it was now or never. Robin turned around and stared at the masked menace for a moment before nodding his head. Slade turned around once again and disappeared out of the exit; Robin and Starfire looked at one another. Neither of them spoke; they did not have too. They both knew how they felt about one another. Tonight had only confirmed it on another level. The two teens stood and began heading towards the door; Beast Boy's voice stopped them.

"Be careful you two." He said shakily.

"We will. And we'll stop Trigon. I promise." Robin replied without turning around.

"Thanks dude."

As Robin and Starfire left the cave to find Trigon, Alfred arrived at Bruce's side bringing a message from the mansion above.

"Pardon the interruption, Master Bruce, but Lex Luthor has just arrived. It appears you missed your appointment with him at Wayne Enterprises earlier, and he's come to find out why."

Everyone's heads turned at this. They had only just learned a short while ago that Luthor was the man behind Terra's revival; and now he was here at Bruce Wayne's home? That was not coincidence. Terra gulped and stepped backwards. Something bad was going on, and she had a feeling it involved her. Batman cursed under his breath. He had completely forgotten his meeting with Luthor; and after learning what he had learned about Luthor's connection to Terra, he knew this could become a major problem.

"Show him to the parlor, Alfred. Tell him I'll meet with him shortly." Batman replied.

"Very well, sir." Alfred nodded his head and then turned to leave the cave. Batman sat down in one of the large chairs and cupped his chin in one of his hands. This was bad; very bad. Luthor was connected to Terra; and that meant trouble. If Luthor discovered Terra was in the mansion, it would not be hard for him to figure everything out.

"There's too much going on for you to stay here, Terra. If Luthor finds you it'll be almost as bad as if Trigon does." Batman announced at last. "I'll deal with Luthor for now. Barbara, you and Beast Boy take Terra to the safe house; Cyborg you and Tim stay in the Batcave and monitor the computers incase Slade calls." After dishing out order, Batman hurried off to another part of the cave to change back into civilian clothes and ready himself for the meeting with Luthor.

"What's the safe house?" Terra asked at once.

"It's an underground facility Bruce built." Batgirl explained as she and Beast Boy rose from their chairs and headed in Terra's direction. "It's for emergencies; I guess this counts as one. Nothing fancy, just a steel shelter buried a mile beneath Gotham. Not many people know about it; you should be safe from Trigon _and_ Luthor there."

The three of them hurried towards one of the hidden exits of the Batcave.

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Bruce Wayne's parlor was a beautifully decorated room. The floor had the finest Persian carpets, and there was a beautiful wooden table in the middle of the room with several matching chairs around it. An old hardwood bookshelf sat in the corner, filled with volumes of dusty old books that were all antiques and priceless. There was a fireplace as well, complete with a mantle over it. Tonight was cold and Alfred had lit a small fire behind the protective iron framework. There were also several priceless rapier swords on the walls as decoration. Lex Luthor stood admiring one of those swords when Bruce finally arrived.

"Ah, Lex, it's been a long time." Bruce greeted him friendly.

"Indeed it has Bruce." Luthor replied. "I'm sorry you couldn't make our meeting at Wayne Corp."

"Sorry about that Lex; family emergency." Bruce replied calmly. He and Luthor had played this game before. They were both executives with something to hide; and they were dancing around the real subject. They could both play the game well; the question was who could play it the best?

"I'm sorry to hear that." Lex replied, although he neither believed what Wayne said nor meant his own words. "This is a fine sword. Twelfth century Spanish rapier; isn't it?"

Luthor changed the subject to the sword hanging above the fireplace. Bruce replied quickly. "Yes, that's right. Are you a collector too?"

"My father was." Luthor replied. "He insisted I learn to fence in my adolescent years. I must admit, it's become somewhat of a hobby. Would you mind if I took a closer look at it?" Lex turned around, looking Bruce square in the eyes as he asked this question.

Bruce was in a dangerous place. On the one hand, denying his request would raise suspicion; and he needed to stall Luthor long enough for Beast Boy and Batgirl to move Terra to a safer location. On the other; he didn't really like the idea of Lex Luthor holding a deadly weapon – especially if what Lex said about his fencing days was true.

"Be my guest Lex. But be careful; I keep my swords sharp." Bruce replied. He reached onto the wall beside him and removed another sword – this one also a rapier, though not as detailed or beautiful as the Spanish-wrought one Luthor was admiring – and unsheathed it. The silvery blade gleamed in the light from the fireplace. "You see?" Bruce said; and he was right, the blade was well sharpened.

"I don't blame you. There's no use in having a dull sword. Of course I doubt you use them very much." Luthor chuckled, taking the finer Spanish sword off the mantle and unsheathing it. Luthor held the blade aloft in his right hand and ran his left index finger down the side of the blade. He held the sword up at an angle so he could see the reflection of the fireplace on the edge of the blade.

Bruce was worried. With anyone else, this situation would have been under his control. However, he knew Lex Luthor. He knew Luthor was more than just a businessperson – he was also one of the deadliest supervillians ever. Luthor had won several national fencing competitions; Bruce remembered reading that in Forbes. Luthor's being here could be coincidence; but Bruce doubted it. If Luthor even suspected that Terra was nearby, there was no telling what he'd do to get her.

At that moment, Luthor's cellphone rang. Lex looked apologetic. "Excuse me Bruce; I have to take this call." Luthor answered the phone – he already knew who it was. "Hello, Lex Luthor speaking."

"Sir, I just spotted Beast Boy and Batgirl leaving the mansion. Terra was with them." Cobalt informed his boss over the phone. Dr. Philip Cobalt was outside, in Luthor's limousine, watching the house. He'd seen the departure of Terra and her escort and he'd phoned in right away.

"You don't say?" Luthor grinned. This was perfect. Not only did it mean they'd found Terra even earlier than Luthor had planned; but it also confirmed something about Bruce Wayne that Luthor had suspected for some time.

"Thank you Philip; deal with the problem as you see fit." Luthor closed his cellphone and returned it to his pocket. Then he turned to Bruce once again.

"Problems at work?" Bruce inquired.

"Not quite." Luthor replied. "You know Bruce, it doesn't take a genius to know who you are."

"Excuse me?" Bruce decided to play dumb; but he already knew what Luthor was talking about; and Luthor knew he knew.

"Oh come on Bruce; you and I are one and the same. We're both billionaires; and we both owe that to our father's. It's funny. You're father was killed when you were just a child – and you turned out so good and decent. I had my father for years; and I wound up becoming a 'dangerous madman', or so I've been told. You'd think it would be the other way around." Luthor was smiling a dangerous smile. The charade was over and they both knew it. "My associate Dr. Cobalt just saw Terra leaving your mansion, Bruce. Batgirl and Beast Boy were with her. You know, I've wondered if it was you behind that famous mantle. Who else in Gotham has the resources to be Batman?"

It was Bruce's turn to smile. "Lex, from the way you're ranting I'd say you're about to do something stupid."

Luthor's grin only widened. "Like what?"

"I think you're going to attack me with my own sword." Bruce replied. "But for your sake, I hope you're not ignorant enough to try that."

"The thought had crossed my mind." Luthor responded with a malevolent glint in his eye. "I want the girl back, Bruce. She's mine."

"She's a human being, Lex." Bruce shot back, he removed the rapier he'd been holding from it's sheathe and held it up in a fencing style, defensive position. "She isn't your property."

"She's not a human being, Bruce." Lex replied calmly. "Tara Markov died in Jump City. The girl I revived is the product of laboratory testing. She was created, not born. She is my property and I want her back."

"Only a psychopath like you would say something like that." Bruce growled. He was becoming angry. "If you want her you have to go through me."

Lex finally put the rapier in his hands up into a fencing style. "That was my plan all along. I never imagined I'd be the one to kill the famous Batman; but I'll accept that honor."

Bruce smirked. "A lot of people have died trying to claim that honor, Lex. Don't add your name to the list."

"I think we've chatted long enough." Lex replied. There was a brief pause; neither of them made a sound. They stood, poised with their blades ready, watching the flames gleam off the silvery blades. Then it began.

Lex was the first to strike. He thrust his blade forward; but Bruce easily dodged to the right and swung his own sword in an upward direction, catching Luthor's weapon and knocking it away. Bruce quickly counter-attacked with an downward slash, going from left to right; but Luthor stepped back to avoid it. Luthor wasted no time and thrust again; Bruce sidestepped it. Luthor thrusts his sword three more times; the first two Bruce stepped to the left and then quickly to the right to avoid, the third time he was caught on his upper left arm. His shirt was torn and the side of his left arm was slashed open.

Bruce bit down deep into his tongue to stop from crying out in pain. The wound was bad; but he'd had worse. He quickly thrusts his sword out at Lex; but Luthor jumped back in time and escaped the slash. Luthor raised his own rapier above his head and brought it down at Bruce; who had to jump to the side to avoid it. Bruce crashed into the long table and he had to, again, jump out of the way as Lex thrusts his blade methodically fast. Bruce was successful in escaping the blade; and Lex, much to his dismay, found his sword lodged in the wooden table.

"Give it up Luthor!" Bruce slashed at the arch villain, who was forced to move away from the table and his sword in order to avoid it. Lex was being backed into a corner now; and he was unarmed. Bruce slowly advanced towards him, keeping his eyes on the many swords that adorned the wall as decoration. He could not afford to let Lex get his hands on another one of those blades.

"Not on your life, Wayne." Lex replied bitterly.

"I'm not above killing you, Luthor." Bruce retorted; and he meant it. He wasn't usually one to kill criminals, and never an unarmed man; but in the case of Lex Luthor, he'd make an exception.

"The feelings mutual." Luthor's face was broken into a demented grin; and Bruce knew there was trouble. Luthor snapped his wrist to the side and a small derringer pistol slipped out of his sleeve. Bruce slashed with his sword just as Luthor squeezed the trigger. The single-barrel of the derringer exploded with a tiny flash; the blade of Bruce's sword gleamed red with blood.

Luthor clutched his hand; Bruce had slashed him right down the middle of his thumb and index finger, forcing him to drop the gun. However, he'd been too late. The bullet had fired and it had connected with Bruce's leg, just above the knee. Batman fell backwards and landed on the Persian carpet, bleeding from his leg; his sword on the ground beside him forgotten.

Luthor snarled in frustration, but a moment later that snarl turned into a grin. He reached onto the wall and withdrew another sword – this one a Scottish claymore – and then he looked down at Bruce. Luthor held the sword with both hands, wincing a bit from the cut on his right hand but pushing through the pain. He raised the sword above his head and looked down at Bruce with a malignant gleam in his devilish eyes.

"Farewell Batman." He laughed.

"Booyah!" Cyborg's battle cry filled the room as the door was kicked open and his arm-cannon fired. The sonic blast smacked Luthor in the chest and sent him flying backwards. He dropped the heavy Scottish sword and it clanged against the floor; Luthor wound up hitting the wall with a thud. His head smacked against the mantle of the fireplace and when he landed on the floor, he was unconscious, blood trickling down his baldhead.

"Thanks." Said Bruce as he struggled to sit up; Cyborg quickly went to his aid.

"No problem man. I spotted you two fighting on the internal security cameras; decided I better help out." Cyborg flashed a grin. "C'mon, let's get Alfred to look at that leg."

Bruce stood, using Cyborg's massive arm for support, and the two slowly made their way out of the room and towards the Batcave. Bruce hopped on one leg the entire way; but he had Cyborg to hold onto so he was able to make it. Neither of them thought about detaining Luthor in some way – after all, he was unconscious and bleeding from his head; he did not look like much of a threat.

Looks, however, are deceiving. As soon as Cyborg and Bruce were out of the room, Luthor opened his eyes and slowly pushed himself back up. He reached a hand up to his head and felt his injury – it wasn't too bad. He was bleeding, but he was conscious and coherent; so it couldn't be too much head injury; right?

Luthor went for his cellphone and quickly dialed the number to his limousine's phone. After a few rings, Cobalt answered.

"Cobalt; what's the news on Terra?"

"I sent Kerry to retrieve her." Cobalt replied. Jacob Kerry was one of Luthor's "bodyguards". He was a ex-navy seal turned hired assassin. He knew more ways to kill people with his bare hands alone than most people did using a weapon.

Luthor was pleased with this news. "Good. Tell my driver to start the car; I'll be out in a minute. We're going after Terra; we'll deal with Wayne later."

"Yes sir." Cobalt responded. Luthor hung up the phone, returned it to his pocket, and stumbled out of the room. He was angry and could hardly wait for his next encounter with Bruce Wayne; but he was also an evil genius and he was smart enough to know he would have to wait. So he hurried to the front door of Wayne's mansion and returned to his limousine. He'd failed to defeat Batman; but the day wasn't a total loss. They'd just have to make sure they got Terra back – that was enough of a victory.

**

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Robin was on his R-cycle, speeding down one of the older roads on the cliffs overlooking the bay of Gotham. He hadn't traveled down this road in years, but he could still remember his last trip on it. He had taken this road when he left Gotham to make a new start in Jump; and now he was taking it again, this time searching for Trigon. At his right hand side, Starfire flew next to him. She could be flying a lot faster than she was; but she had slowed down to stay near the boy wonder.

In front of them Slade was also flying. Unlike Starfire, he did not attempt to match Robin's pace. He was leading them; and that's the way he liked it. They had been traveling for a while in this direction; Slade could sense Trigon's presence. He was somewhere around here and they would have to find him soon. As they continued down the road, they moved higher and higher up the side of the cliff. Wayne Manor was miles behind them; and the bay of Gotham miles below them.

"Robin? How are you holding up?" Starfire asked. It was hard for him to hear her over the roar of his engine; especially since she was whispering, but he knew she had to whisper so Slade wouldn't listen to their conversation.

"I'm fine Star." Robin replied.

"You do not look fine. You look troubled."

Robin sighed. She knew him too well. Then again, it must have been easy to read his face right now, Robin knew. "Of course I'm troubled Star; we're working with Slade. But we can't change things, so I'm dealing with it. You don't have to worry about it."

"I cannot help but worry. You . . . are not at your best when it comes to Slade."

Robin didn't have to ask what she meant by that; he knew. Robin made bad choices when Slade was involved. There were a million examples; and he didn't blame her for being worried in this instance.

"We'll be okay, Star. I promise."

"Knock off the chit-chat, we're here." Slade snapped.

Slade stopped in mid-air and looked to his right. Robin slammed the breaks and managed to stop just short of hitting Slade in the back. Starfire floated at his side, still. To their right was an old cavern in the side of the cliff; to the left was the highway railing and a large drop down to the jagged rocks of the bay below. Their attention was focused on the cave.

"I can sense him inside." Slade announced. "I hope you're skills haven't dulled Robin."

"They've improved." Robin replied, climbing off the R-Cycle and extending his bo-staff. "How do you want to handle this?"

Slade landed and peered at the cavern. "I'll have to be the one to force him out of Raven's body. You and Starfire will be the diversion."

Robin narrowed his eyes. "No."

Slade turned on the boy. "You don't have a choice. I'm the only one who can force him out of Raven's body, remember?"

"And I don't trust you, remember?" Robin replied sarcastically. "I'll distract Trigon, you force him out of Raven's body; and Starfire's going to watch _you_. The second you try to screw us, Slade, she's taking you out."

Slade's mouth twisted into a grin. "Fine Robin; have things your way. Just remember, with only one person distracting him it will be much easier for Trigon to kill you."

"Maybe, but I'd still feel safer this way than I would with no one watching you." Robin retorted.

"It doesn't really matter what your plan is; it's already failed." The voice that spoke was deep and cold; it hit them like a wave of icy water. Slade, Robin and Starfire all turned to their left – towards the highway railing. Raven was floating above the railing; of course it wasn't Raven controlling the body. Four red eyes glowed on the top of her head, and a sinister smile was curved on her lips.

"Oh shi-" Slade never got a chance to finish his curse. Trigon fired lasers from the four eyes on Raven's forehead and they smashed into Slade. The beams from the lower set of eyes hit either one of his legs; while the beams from the higher eyes struck his chest. Slade doubled-over on the pavement and stopped moving.

"Starfire Go!" Robin yelled. He wasn't sure how they were going to force Trigon out of Raven's body without Slade's help; but he was going to try. He threw one of his freezing discs at Trigon and it hit him in the chest. Raven's body froze in mid-air; but the ice quickly melted away, Trigon was breathing fire on it from inside his icy prison. Before the ice could finish melting, however, Starfire had lobbed a great number of starbolts at him and the green energies exploded all around the fiend. Starfire held back her full strength; not wanting to damage Raven's body. It didn't matter, however, because when the smoke cleared she found that Trigon had projected a barrier between himself and Starfire using the same mental powers Raven often used. The only difference was that Trigon's mental barrier was a deep red; instead of black.

"Pathetic." Trigon laughed. "Have you ever had an ant infestation? The ants are annoying; but they aren't really a danger to you, are they? That's what you humans remind me of; ants."

Robin jumped forward and swung his bo-staff like a baseball bat; it connected with the back of Raven's head and sent Trigon-Raven flying forward into the pavement. "Don't underestimate ants."

Trigon-Raven levitated off the ground and turned to face Robin and Starfire with a grin. "You realize of course that you haven't harmed me in the least; all you've managed to do is abuse my daughter's body."

"Raven would rather see her body destroyed than turned into your weapon." Starfire replied angrily; her eyes and hands were burning with bright green fury.

"Then destroy it." Trigon retorted. "I can find a new body."

Robin and Starfire both stood at a standstill. Neither of them really knew what to do; and they were in a bad situation. Both of the teens had their backs pressed against the highway railing; with Trigon-Raven floating in front of them. It was then that Robin noticed something; a movement from behind Trigon-Raven. Slade was getting onto his knees. Robin knew it was a long shot; but if he could just keep Trigon-Raven distracted . . .

"You can't win Trigon. Now matter who's body you take, or however many times you come back; we're just going to keep on beating you." Robin stated boldly.

"Is that so?" Trigon laughed. "Do you truly believe that?"

"Yeah. I do." Robin replied. "Blast him."

Trigon-Raven's eyes widened for a brief second; but before he could reaction Slade had fired a mental blast at the demon. Trigon-Raven cried out in pain as his body was covered in a black energy field similar to the kind the real Raven made. Trigon-Raven struggled; but his body refused to move. A gurgling sound escaped his throat; followed by a loud roar. Then the four red eyes squeezed shut and when they merged back into two eyes – a moment later a large black light exploded from out of Raven's mouth and shot off into the sky.

Trigon's soul-self had abandoned the body. Raven's now-empty body collapsed towards the ground; but Starfire swiftly flew forward and gently grabbed her friend's empty form. She turned to Robin and smiled at him to show their victory. Robin returned the grin; but Slade's next words stomped on their happiness.

"It's too early to celebrate. We have to find Trigon's soul-self and destroy it before he gets a new body." Slade replied as he climbed to his feet. The injuries on his chest and legs weren't as bad as they'd appeared to be.

"Star, take Raven's body back to her. Slade and I can search on our own." Robin instructed the redhead. Starfire looked reluctant.

"Robin, I do not think –"

"Don't worry about me." Robin cut her off. "We have to reunite Raven with her body as soon as possible."

From the look on her face, it was easy to tell Starfire didn't approve of this. Leaving Robin and Slade to work together alone was bad; any way you look at it. Still, she knew Robin was correct; and she was worried about Raven's dilemma as well. So, after chewing on her bottom lip for a moment, Starfire replied to him.

"Very well Robin. Please return as soon as you can." Starfire turned and flew off towards the mansion. Robin watched her as she vanished into the distance with a heavy heart. A cold sensation on the back of his neck, and an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach were just a few of the many signs of his discomfort. He had a foreboding feeling – like this was the last time he'd ever see Starfire.

"Robin, we have a problem." Slade suddenly spoke up. Robin turned around to look at him.

"What's that?"

"I just found out where Trigon's soul-self went." Slade said in a shaky voice. Robin suddenly noticed that Slade's body was shaking slightly; and his single eye was closed tightly.

"Oh no." Robin sighed; realizing where Trigon's soul had gone.

"Oh yes." Slade replied; but it wasn't Slade's voice that came out of his mouth. It was Trigon's. Trigon's soul-self had possessed Slade's body. Slade's body stopped shaking and Trigon-Slade turned to face Robin. His single eye was gone; now replaced with a glowing red one. On his forehead were two other glowing red eyes. The eye patch remained in place where the fourth eye would have been.

"Well, with this body I only have three eyes; but at least I've got balls again." Trigon-Slade mocked in a cold voice.

"Too much information." Robin replied; then he went for his bo-staff. Of course Robin was too slow. He leapt towards Trigon-Slade; but he was engulfed in an deep crimson energy aura and suspended in mid air.

"You've been a huge help." Trigon laughed. "The others still believe Slade is on your side. It doesn't matter if Raven gets her body back, now. I can walk right into Wayne Manor and straight up to Raven; and then I can kill her for good. You have my thanks, Robin."

Robin struggled to free himself from the mental aura; but it was no use.

"Of course I don't plan to stop with Raven." Trigon tormented the boy wonder. "I'll be killing Beast Boy too; so she'll have company in death. And because you've been so helpful to me tonight, I think I'll kill the Tamaranian girl too. Any special way you'd like her to die? I could burn the flesh off her bones; or crush her skull, take your pick."

"If you so much as breathe on Starfire I'll kill you as many times as it takes for you to stay dead!" Robin shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Breath on her? Excellent idea; flaming breath it is!" Trigon laughed maniacally. Robin grunted and struggled against the aura he was trapped it; but to no avail. When Trigon had finished laughed he reached forward and stripped Robin of his utility belt. "You won't need this where your going."

"I'm not going anywhere." Robin replied.

"Wrong Robin; you're going on a trip. We're going to see if this little birdie can fly." Trigon laughed. Robin felt himself moving; he was being levitated backwards. He watched, in silent horror, as he floated up over the highway railing and then out over the side of the cliff. Trigon was moving him. He finally paused once again; now suspended over the edge of the cliff. Below him was nothing but a deadly drop right into the bay.

"I hope you can fly, Robin. Or at least swim." Trigon laughed. Then the crimson aura that had held the boy wonder in place vanished; and Robin fell with a scream towards the Bay of Gotham below – it was several miles down.

"The robin has fallen from the sky; and the raven is next." Trigon laughed to himself before he flew up into the air and bolted off into the night sky; making his way towards Wayne Manor to reunite with his daughter and end her life.

Magus watched all of this unfold from his hiding place inside the cave off to the right of the highway road. When Slade had stopped before and looked at the cave; he had done so because he felt the presence of a demon. It had been Magus; not Trigon. It was only by coincidence that Trigon had arrived when he did. Magus had watched the entire thing; and he had formulated a plan of his own. . .

As for Robin; he fell.

He fell and he hit the water with enough force to render him unconscious. Unfortunately for Robin; he could not swim being unconscious – and so he began to drown.

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**A/N**: Well, I said you'd have a literal cliffhanger; and Robin fell off a cliff. See, I keep my word. Heheh. Chapter Thirty will be up on **Friday May 27th, 2005**. Or sooner; if I get enough reviews. XD! I know, I'm a feedback whore. So sue me.


	30. The Fist Of Azarath

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Thirty**

"The Fist of Azarath"

**A/N**: Wheeeee! I finally got out of physical therapy today! Hooray for me! –Waves flags- and I just heard the latest on the rest of season 4 of Teen Titans: "The Prophecy" will be June 4th, "Stranded" will be June 11th, "Overdrive" will be June 18th, "Mother Mae-Eye" is June 25th, and "The End" parts 1, 2, and 3 will all air on the 4th of July! Now THAT calls for fireworks. Booyah! All those dates are what I read on TVTome, so I don't know how reliable they are; but still; BOOYAH! Now enjoy chapter thirty.

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Robin was confused.

The last thing he had remembered was being dropped off the side of a cliff by Trigon; who had just possessed Slade's body. Robin could feel the sensation of weightlessness as he fell through the sky with a whirling sound. He could remember desperately trying to grab onto the Cliffside, and cursing that the enemy had taken his belt full of grappling hooks. He recalled how cold his body went when he hit the water; he could feel the pain as it shot through him from the force of impact, and then everything went dark.

When Robin opened his eyes; things were very different. He was no longer in the water; instead, he was lying in the sand. The sand was cold and black; and it seemed to be the only terrain for miles. There were no trees, no buildings, no rivers; no signs of life of any kind. Just miles and miles of cold, black sand. Above him, the sky was just as black as the sand; illuminated only by the tiny pinpricks of light that shined from the stars in the infinite distance.

Robin gritted his teeth as he pushed himself up. He had been lying face down on his stomach; now he had managed to make it up onto his knees. Robin's body felt weak, drained of all strength. That was understandable; he had hit the water hard, and he had probably sustained several injuries. What was not understandable was the fact he was now completely dry – and in the middle of a black desert.

"I brought you here. That is why you are not in the water; and why you are not dead."

Robin heard a voice; a woman's voice. He rose to his feet and turned around quickly; a little too quickly. His weakened body gave way and Robin spun and fell onto his back. He grunted out in pain; but a moment later, he felt that pain vanish. He looked up to see a violet-haired woman dressed completely in white. She reminded him of Raven, at first. The hair was the same color; and she had a stone on her head above her eyes, just as the Goth girl did. She held a small clear orb in her hand and was holding it over Robin's body. Robin watched the orb glow a light blue color. He could feel his body being soothed and healed as the orb shined its light on him.

"That's amazing." Robin commented.

"This orb was a gift from the Azar of Azarath." The woman explained. "It has magnificent healing powers."

_Azarath?_ Robin instantly thought of Raven. That was not coincidence. Thinking of Raven instantly reminded him of Slade; and Trigon. He realized he had to get back. He had to warn the others about what was happening. They were all in grave danger.

"You have to get me back to Gotham." Robin said at once. "Friends of mine are in danger."

"Calm yourself Robin." The woman replied. "You are in an alternate dimension. Time does not flow the same here as it does on Earth. You could spend what feels like years in this reality; but in your own time, only a few hours would have passed. I will return you in plenty of time to stop Trigon – that I promise you."

It was not much comfort to Robin. He was not sure where he was, or what kind of danger his friends could be in. However, this woman had saved his life. He could be positive of that – and if she wanted to harm him, she would have already. Robin decided it was best just to trust her and listen to what she had to say.

"Who are you, anyway?" Robin asked.

"My name is Arella." The woman replied. "Please listen to what I have to say Robin, for it will impact your world."

Arella, who had been leaning over Robin until this point, stood up and lifted her arms to the sky. There was a bright flash of white light; and suddenly what looked like a window appeared. It was round and glassy; like the porthole of a ship – just floating in mid-air. Robin stood and watched the window float.

"Ever since his daughter, Raven came into existence; Trigon had been trying to reach the planet Earth. Physically he could not travel there because the Azar of Azarath used her powers to block him. He can only reach the planet by way of his daughter. He planned, all along, to use Raven to destroy the world. Then Slade came into his employment; and Trigon got new ideas. He could gain control of his daughter whilst you Titans were on Tamaran. I'm sure you remember his many attempts."

Arella said, and as she spoke, Robin looked into the floating porthole and he saw the entire adventure on Tamaran once again – but this time he saw it all. Not only the things he had experienced himself; but everything. He saw the conversations between Bruce and Galfore, the private moments between Beast Boy and Raven; and even Slade and Trigon's planning.

"However, Trigon's plans failed on Tamaran; and he was killed. He had not foreseen this. He did, however, have a backup plan. Trigon may look stupid and brutish, and indeed, he acts like a crude beast – but in reality, he is an evil genius the likes of which this universe has never before seen. You already know of how he implanted himself inside Raven, and used her to re-grow his spirit. That spirit contains all of Trigon's powers and all of his malice; and now it is in the body of Slade Wilson."

"Yeah, I remember." While this was all interesting, none of it was new. Robin was much too worried for the welfare of his friends to care too much about the recap now going on. Arella seemed to notice this, because the next thing she projected onto the porthole was new.

"Right now a man named Jacob Kerry is preparing to attack your friends. He is there on behalf of Lex Luthor; and his goal is to obtain Terra – who is still inhabited by Raven's spirit."

Robin cursed. He could see Bruce Wayne's safe house in the porthole. Of course, it was not really a house. It was a hatch on the side of Wayne Manor that was disguised to look like part of the lawn. When lifted it led to a ladder that led down into an old root cellar that Bruce had converted into a safe house. There were supplies and weapons down there; and someone could safely live down there for weeks without needing to come up to the surface. He watched on the porthole as Beast Boy, Batgirl and Terra descended the ladder. He could also see a large man, Jacob Kerry, holding a knife in his hand and slowly following them.

"Send me back; I can help them." Robin said at once; but Arella shook her head.

"I told you that time flows differently here. When I send you back to Earth I will send you back to the precise moment you are needed; no sooner, no later. You must have faith Robin."

Robin sighed. He did not really have a choice, did he? Arella continued her earlier explanation.

"As time stands right now, your friends will engaged Kerry in battle. Then Starfire shall arrive; and Raven will be reunited with her body; and things will seem good. That is when Trigon will arrive, in the body of Slade. As time stands right now, Trigon will be able to fool your friends by using Slade's body; and he will kill them." Arella explained; and as she did Robin saw all of these things happen.

"NO! Send me back; I won't let them die!" Robin yelled. He glared at her with vicious eyes. He did not care who Arella was, or what kind of powers she and the Azar of Azarath might possess; he was not going to watch his friends die.

"You will be sent back to this precise moment, Robin, when the time is right." Arella explained in a cool voice; she either ignored his yelling, or failed to notice it. "If I sent you back now, you would be killed too. Have you forgotten your last encounter with Trigon whilst he was in the body of Slade? You were soundly defeated; and your weapons were destroyed. The only thing that would be different if you went back now would be the speed of your defeat."

Robin sighed. Part of him knew she was correct; but part of him did not care. Robin had a cool head, a steady mind and the will of a martial artist. Both the True Master and the infamous Batman had trained him physically and mentally; but that could not change his heart. Knowing that Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy, Batgirl and Terra would be killed unless he helped them was enough to destroy rational, levelheaded Robin and replace him with reckless Robin.

"Trigon can be defeated, and your friends can be saved. Using this." There was a flash of gold light; this time it engulfed Robin's right arm. He felt as if some kind of sticky, warm liquid was being poured slowly over his arm. Up and down the length of his green glove, he could feel the sensation of a bubbling liquid, warming his skin and pressing against him. When the golden light finally faded; he found his glove was very different.

First, it was no longer green. Now it was golden in color. It still felt like it was made out of silk; and the weight had not changed, but as Robin was about to learn, it had become a hellova lot more durable. Arella reached down into her robe and extracted a long, jagged knife. Before Robin could react, she stabbed him right in the top of his hand – and to Robin's surprise, the knife failed to puncture the glove. He stood flabbergasted. A simple silk glove had just rebounded a steel blade.

"Amazing!" Robin cried out.

"I thought you'd like that." Arella smiled to herself. Then Robin noticed something else about the glove; there was a red jewel on the back of it. A large, round red stone that glittered in the black world like a ruby flame.

"That is the Fist of Azarath." Arella explained. "A weapon crafted by the Azar herself. It will aid you more than anything on your old belt ever could have. First, however, you must learn how to use it. There are three functions to the fist; each of them will be invaluable to your conquest against Trigon. When the stone on the back of the glove is red, as it is now, you can use the fist for assault. It is called the Flames of Azarath. There are two types of flames; each created by your emotions. If you are angry, you will receive the Fire of Anger. It is very powerful; If you are passionate, rather than mad, you will receive the Flames of Passion. Whichever flame you receive is up to you and your control of your emotions."

Robin looked down at the red stone on his hand, and then he shifted his eyes back to Arella. "What's the difference?"

"You are very observant, aren't you?" Arella smiled and complimented him. He had caught on quickly. "The Flames of Passion are not as powerful; however, they cannot hurt you or anyone you consider a friend or ally. The Flames of Anger are much stronger; but you cannot control them. They will burn you, your friends, and anyone else who gets in their way. That is why you must be careful to control your anger."

Robin nodded. He suddenly felt a lot like Raven having to worry about his emotions. "You said there were three powers to the glove? What about the other two?"

Arella nodded and she waved her hand over the surface of the Fist of Azarath. The stone on the back changed from a red ruby into a white diamond. "That is Azarath's Blessing. With it, you can heal injuries inflicted on others. However, just like the flames, it is driven by emotion. You can only heal an injury if you believe strongly enough. If the desire and the need are true and strong, you can heal any wound. If your intentions are not justified, however, and you are not true in your belief in both yourself and the glove, it will do nothing."

Robin was tempted to snicker at the idea. He just had to have faith in himself and he could heal people. It seemed a lot like the theme message of a Disney movie; but he would not doubt Arella. She had not steered him wrong yet; and he knew he had to take this seriously.

"Finally there is the true reason I gave you the Fist." Arella said somberly. She waved her hand over the stone once again and once again, it had changed. Now it was a Garnet, rather than a diamond. "With this stone, Robin, you can absorb the power of a demon into the glove. All you have to do is concentrate and you can steal all of that demon's powers – you can even lock their soul-self inside the Garnet. One good shot of this form of the fist, and you could drain Slade of all his demonic powers – and you could trap Trigon's soul inside the glove forever."

There had been a catch with the ruby and the diamond; and Robin knew this sounded too good to be true already. He looked to Arella; but before he even had to ask, she began to explain.

"Robin you must use this Garnet to absorb Trigon's soul-self from Slade; as well as all of Slade's demon powers. This will do two things; seal Trigon and all of his powers away inside the stone, and render Slade a mere mortal human again. However, I must warn you that once you have imprisoned Trigon inside the glove, his evil will taint the glove's purity. It will become harder to control, harder to use and inheritably more dangerous. If you do not have the conviction and the dedication; Trigon could take over both the glove and your body – and you would become his puppet, just as Raven and Slade were before."

Robin sighed and stared at the Garnet. He had the power to save his friends with this glove – this "Fist of Azarath" – but he could wind up paying a high price. This would bring the burden of Trigon the Terrible onto his shoulders. Still, with Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy, Terra and Batgirl's lives on the line he did not even hesitate before he looked back up at Arella.

"I'll do it, Arella. I'll do whatever I have to, pay whatever price is required; if it means helping my friends."

Arella smiled. "Yes, I knew you would. Then I will prepare the time warp for you." She turned and waved her hands in the sky; the window they had looked through earlier transformed in the blink of an eye. Now it was a large, floating, wooden door. After the transformation, Arella turned back to Robin once more. "Now I must ask you a favor. Please give this to Raven."

There was another flash of light; and a small golden pendant appeared in Robin's hand. It was in the shape of a circle and it looked like both sides could open to reveal smaller compartments; but Robin did not know how and it was not his business anyway.

"Please give her this message for me: Open the left side when you are in need of protection, and the right when you seek for wisdom."

Robin nodded and pocketed the pendant. "I will."

"Hurry through the door." Arella advised him.

"Thank you." Robin turned around and proceeded to the door without another word. He threw it open and suddenly he was engulfed in bright, white light . . .

**

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**

The safe house was not impressive. Wayne had converted an old wine cellar into a bunker. The walls were reinforced with steel; but dirt still popped through in a few places showing they were underground. It was a very small space; only about the size of the Titan's living room back at the tower. There were shelves containing crates of various types of preserved food, bottled water and weapons. If one needed too, they could live down here for weeks and wage a small war on anyone foolish enough to come down the old ladder. Unfortunately, it was not comfortable. There were still several bottles of wine on wine racks in the back; and besides those racks were some small cots that could be used as beds.

"Dude, I liked our rooms on Tamaran a lot better." Beast Boy commented as he looked around.

"How long do you think I'll have to stay down here?" Terra asked Batgirl; ignoring the green one and his comment completely.

"Just until Luthor leaves, I'm sure." Barbara replied. She walked over and sat on one of the cots. She let out a sigh and ran her hand through the red hair that fell out of the back of her mask. It had been a long night; but the first signs of morning sun could be seen in the sky above the wine cellar. As soothing as the sunlight was, Barbara sighed once again when she saw it.

"Beast Boy, you were supposed to _close_ the hatch. This is a _secret_ hiding place; remember?"

"Whoops." Beast Boy's face went slightly red and he walked over to the ladder. He hopped up and began to climb towards the hatch when something came crashing down upon his head. That something was the bottom of Jacob Kerry's combat boot. Beast Boy grunted and fell off the ladder, landing on his back. Kerry fell down and landed on his feet not far from Beast Boy. The girls both gasped; Batgirl instantly sprang off the bed and pushed Terra back behind her.

Kerry was just a normal man; or he had started out that way. Years of working for Luthor had modified his normality, however, due to genetic testing and experiments. Kerry was stronger, faster and able to take more punishment than most of his fellow humans. He reached down to his belt and pulled off a large hunting knife, and then he began walking forward without a sound.

Batgirl rolled her eyes. She went for her utility belt and removed a hand full of smoke pellets; which she hastily threw right at Kerry's head. The smoke bombs exploded into a thick gray cloud, which hung around the man's head, choking him and causing him to shut his eyes. Batgirl ran forward and delivered a jumping kick into Kerry's stomach, sending him reeling backwards. Kerry tripped over Beast Boy's body and landed with a thud; smacking his head on one of the shelves full of bottled water as he fell.

He was unconscious.

"Dude; that sucked." Beast Boy complained as he stood up. He rubbed his sore head; and then his sore back. "Twice that guy used me as a footstool; not cool."

Beast Boy began walking towards the girls; when Kerry's hand extended forward and grabbed his ankle. Kerry jerked Beast Boy's leg and sent him falling to the ground once again; then Kerry stood and lifted Beast Boy in front of him like a shield. Beast Boy growled, quickly tiring of this. He transformed into large python and curled himself up around Kerry's arm, squeezing. Kerry seemed annoyed and drew his knife once again.

Batgirl started forward; but before she could do anything a bright green bolt of light smashed into the side of Kerry's head. Kerry went flying into the wall and rendering him unconscious once again; this time he stayed that way. Beast Boy uncoiled himself from Kerry's arm and transformed back into his human form in time to see Starfire floating down the entrance to the safe house.

Beast Boy was about to thank her for her help when he noticed something. Starfire's right hand was in a fist, she had launched the starbolt from that one. However, her left arm was holding something – something Beast Boy recognized at once. Raven's body.

"Dude! You got Rae's body back!" Beast Boy squeaked excitedly. Instantly Raven took control of Terra and stepped forward to confirm this.

"Robin, Slade and I were successful." Starfire replied, setting Raven's body down on the floor. "Trigon was forced from your body, Raven. Robin and Slade are still searching for him."

"Star, you're amazing." Raven replied. "Thanks."

Perhaps it was because she had been trapped inside Terra; or perhaps it was just because anyone would be in a hurry if they'd lost their body; but for whatever the reason Raven wasted no time in moving Terra's petite form across the room and bending down next to her original body. Raven, still controlling Terra, took her own hands inside Terra's.

Beast Boy waited with baited breath. Things looked like they were picking up for the heroes; but he was not counting on it. This is how it always happened; ever since the beginning. They would get so close to a happy ending; and then something awful would happen. Beast Boy was worried that this would be another one of those times.

For a moment, none of the onlookers could tell if anything was happening or not. Terra's eyes were closed; then suddenly a black light began to shine from Terra's hands. Soon both Raven and Terra's bodies were engulfed in a black aura; and it seemed like it was working. Finally, the aura dispersed from around the girls; and Raven's eyes opened.

"Rae?" Beast Boy asked, looking down at the gothic girl's original face.

"Yeah." Raven replied.

"Dude! Sweet!" As Raven sat up from the floor, Beast Boy ambushed her in a hug. Raven had her usual chagrin appearance; but her eyes told a different story. Anyone looking in her dark eyes could see the warmth and joy as he hugged her.

"Okay, down boy." Raven's monotone voice finally called. Then she turned to her side where Terra stood by awkwardly. The blonde was rubbing one arm with one of her gloved hands; and looking at her shoe. When she felt Raven's piercing gaze upon her, Terra reluctantly looked up at the other girl.

"Thank you." Raven said quickly and quietly.

"You don't have to thank me." Terra replied. "I just wanted to help, y'know?"

"You did." Raven answered her; then she went ridged. Raven felt a cold tingling down the back of her spine; and her eyes widened a bit. She could sense a powerful demon's aura approaching fast – and it felt a lot like her father's presence. She turned around and looked at the ladder that led into the safe house; the others did the same.

"What's up Rae?" Beast Boy asked, his eyes staring at the ladder.

"I'm not sure." Raven replied quietly.

The orange-glowing form of Slade appeared, floating down the path from the top. He landed on the ground in front of the Titans and all of them relaxed a bit. Raven let out a small sigh of relief; it was just Slade. Then her eyes widened again – was he alone?

"Where's Robin?" Raven asked. From the look on her face; Starfire was interested in the answer to this one too.

"Dead." Was the reply; but it wasn't Slade's voice that spoke. It was Trigon's. Raven's eyes widened once again and instantly her hands began to glow with black energy.

"Trigon." She whispered.

"When are you going to start calling me _dad_?" Trigon mocked. "Your body was ill-suited for me anyway; Slade's is much roomier."

However, the father-daughter reunion was cut short. Starfire was floating numbly over the ground; her face white as a sheet. Trigon's response to the question had hit her like a bag of bricks.

Robin was dead?

"You are a liar!" Starfire screamed out when she finally regained her composure.

Trigon looked over at Starfire. There was a smirk across Slade's face as Trigon gave his reply. "No, I'm not. I threw him into the bay; and he drowned." Slade watched her face grow even paler; and he could see tears forming in her eyes and her body shaking with silent fury. "Don't worry so much; I plan on killing you just as soon as I finish with my daughter."

Starfire flew forward so fast Raven had to use her powers and sink into the ground, reappearing a few feet away, to move out of her path. The Tamaranian girl slammed Slade with both of her fist; sending him flying across the room and slamming into a wall. Starfire threw a barrage of starbolts at the fallen villain and watched them strike him with satisfaction. For a long time she continued to attack without stopping; none of the others had ever seen her this mad. When she finally did stop, she was panting and she landed on her shaky legs, tears burning her cheeks as they fell.

When the smoke clears, Trigon was still standing. Slade's body was glowing orange; he had blocked all of the starbolts with his energy.

"That was nowhere near enough to stop me." The demon chuckled. "Honestly; why do you even bother fighting? No matter how hard you try, no matter what you do or where you go; you'll never be rid of me. Even after you killed me I returned; is that not enough to prove my might? I am invincible! I am immortal! I am Trigon!"

"You are _annoying_." Robin's swift, sarcastic voice filled the room.

Trigon whipped around; Slade's single eye widened in surprise and shock. The Titans and Batgirl gazed up; a mixture of astonishment, wonder and delight filling them all. Starfire, who looked as if she was ready to collapse on the ground in despair, suddenly brightened. Her big green eyes widened in disbelief; and then a smile ripped across her face.

Behind Trigon a door had appeared; floating in mid-air. Standing in the frame of that door was Robin.

"You again? How? I killed you!" Trigon growled.

"Not exactly." Robin replied. "Oh; I have something for you Trigon, a message from Arella."

Trigon's eye widened at the sound of that name; as did Raven's. The demon in Slade's body took a step forward. "I get it . . . that bitch on Azarath saved you. Irritating to the last, eh? Well this should be rich; what kind of message does she have for me?"

Robin had kept his right hand inconspicuously at his side the entire time; so Trigon would not notice his new glove or the ruby red jewel that sat at the top. "Well, it's not really the kind of thing that can be expressed in words, you see; but I think you'll get the point." Robin balled his fist and thrust his right hand forward; the ruby shimmered with a scarlet glow and a great jet of fire sprang from Robin's fist.

Trigon's eye glowed a dark red and a shield aura, similar to Raven's, appeared in front of him to block the flames; but the flames engulfed the shield with ease and melted it away. Trigon hadn't expected that – and he was the next to be consumed by the raging heat. Trigon screamed as Slade's body burst into flames and he fell to his knees. The Fist of Azarath, focused with Robin's will to save his friends, had created a flame so powerful not even the arch demon Trigon could withstand it.

Robin stopped with the flames and he quickly switched the ruby jewel for the garnet; Arella had shown him how. Just a simple flick of his wrist and the jewel transformed before his very eyes. If he did this right he could defeat Trigon once and for all – right now. Robin aimed his fist a second time at the fallen Demon; who was on the ground, clutching himself in pain.

"You were responsible for everything that happened to us on Tamaran; and everything that's happened since we got back." Robin accused. "And I'm getting really sick of you."

A black beam of light sprang forth from Robin's fist and struck Trigon in Slade's chest. Slade's body became consumed by a black light; and then Trigon screamed. Several strange glowing runes appeared all over Slade's body – the runes of power that Trigon had implanted him with to give him the powers of a demon. As the demon symbols were engulfed with the black light they began to peel away; and float through the stream of black energy back towards the glove. Finally, Slade's body was free of runes; and then it began to shake violently. Trigon's soul-self was being drawn out; but Trigon was trying to resist.

Robin struggled; focusing all of his mental strength into the glove. He was just a normal human, and while he might be fighting for his friends and for a cause, he believed it; all this demonic stuff was a little too much for him to handle. Robin's body was shaking; he was losing focus and concentration and for a moment, he thought he might lose this battle.

Then he felt hands on his shoulders. It was Raven. Her eyes were closed and she was whispering something softly into Robin's ear. He couldn't understand the language she was speaking; but he had a good guess that it wasn't of this earth. Robin began to feel strength returning to him; he could feel the glove growing more powerful.

Then a scream pierced the air. Trigon's scream. It was loud and inhuman. So loud that Starfire, Batgirl, Cyborg, Terra and Beast Boy all grabbed their ears and shut their eyes. The scream was like nothing they'd ever heard; or would ever want to hear again.

Trigon's soul-self sprang from Slade's body and flew into the garnet. There was a flash of deep crimson light; and then it was gone. Robin fell backwards, sending both he and Raven tumbling backwards to the ground. Beast Boy hurried over; Starfire close behind.

Robin and Raven both managed to sit up at nearly the same time. Neither of them could say a word before they both found themselves embraced tightly by Starfire and Beast Boy. Starfire, as she always did, had Robin in a hug tight enough to break bones; but he'd be damned if he'd complain. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed her with all his might. Between what happened to her at the prison, and his near-death experience with Trigon; Robin had never been more grateful to be able to hug the Tamaran girl who'd stolen his heart.

"I love you." Robin heard Starfire whisper in his ear. He smiled and instead of responding with words, he kissed her neck just behind her ear softly.

A few feet away, Beast Boy had released his grip on Raven and was now staring at her.

"I missed you Rae." Beast Boy said quietly.

"Technically I didn't go anywhere." Raven remarked.

"No, but you did; I mean you didn't, but _you_ did, you know what I mean?"

"Beast Boy, I never know what you mean." Raven teased him.

"That's cold Rae." Beast Boy pouted, but then he grinned at her with his usual goofy face. "You've still got that whole 'ice queen' thing going on . . . but come to think of it the 'ice queen' thing's kind of sexy."

"Okay, this conversations over."

Whilst the young lovers reunited inside the safe house; a much darker presence was stirring elsewhere in Gotham. Magus was impressed; he'd been spying on them using an ancient blend of dark magic and demon powers. He'd seen the whole thing; and he knew what he had to do.

All of Trigon and Slade's powers were inside that glove of Robin's.

If Magus got his hands on that glove; then his plans were back on schedule.

**

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**


	31. The Siren's Song

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Thirty-One**

"The Siren's Song"

**A/N**: This chapter is **dedicated to Willow**. I apologize for the late update; as I explained on my livejournal, I was sick and that is the reason I did not update on time. Please do not bludgeon me to death with a spoon, spork, fork or any other eating utensil.

**

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**

It was late by the time the Titans returned to Wayne Manor. After the second downfall of Trigon the Terrible and Slade Wilson, the Titans had been as busy as ever. Robin, Cyborg and Batgirl had taken the now-human-once-again Slade to Arkham Asylum for incarceration. Slade was unconscious when they took him to the prison, but just as a precaution, the three heroes had made sure to tie him up good and tight so he could not try anything. None of them were delusional; they knew Slade would be back. He had risen from the dead on numerous occasions just to spite the Teen Titans; prison would not hold him forever. Still, it would be better to have him locked up for a while and out of their hair. Besides, he had lost all of his supernatural powers when Robin used the glove on him – he was human again.

The rest of the Titans returned to Wayne Manor. It was still the middle of the night, after all, and they retired to the guest's bedrooms at the top of the stairs in an attempt to get a few hours of sleep before sunrise. No one had much hope of getting a good night's sleep, but just a few hours of shuteye would do them all good. Sleep was one thing the team had been lacking of ever since their recent problems began with Shady's visit; so why should tonight be any different?

Outside the Manor, however, danger was lying in wait. Three sinister beings existed among the shadows. They had watched as the group took Slade to the prison earlier, and that's when the plans had been devised. Magus, Sadira and Azarock had been hiding out waiting for the perfect chance to strike; and now they had it. Honestly, the last few events that had happened had been perfect for the three eldest of Trigon's children. They wanted their father's power – and now thanks to Robin they could get it easier than they ever expected.

Magus had finally decided to reveal himself to his siblings. At first they had been shocked that he was even alive; much less caught up in all of this with them. However, after only a few minutes of conversation they had agreed to help him. He was persuasive and it didn't take much to convince the twins that they would need his help if they wanted to obtain Trigon's powers. Magus explained the situation about Robin and the glove – and that had been enough to interest the twins.

They still had a problem, however. Raven. She had proven in the past to be more dangerous and more capable than any of their fellow siblings. They would have to insure that she could not interfere with their plans. Magus turned to his siblings from their hiding spot among the darkened trees around Wayne Manor.

"I have a plan." He informed them. "Azarock, you an I will retrieve the glove from Robin. Sadira, I'll leave you to dispose of Raven."

Sadira flipped her head, causing her long silver hair to flutter back behind her ear with a sparkle. "How?"

Magus's thin lips curved into a dangerous smile. "Why don't you do what you do best? I'm sure it will make a fitting end for Raven to die at the hands of her human lover."

"That's probably the evilest thing I could do to her." Sadira pointed out; then she grinned. "I'm game."

"Excellent." Magus replied. "Then what are we waiting for? Azarock, come; we have work to do. Sadira, I'll leave the matter of Raven's demise in your capable hands."

**

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**

"Sir, perhaps we should just reconsider things." Cobalt tried to reason with Luthor, but Luthor would not hear about it.

The limousine that belonged to the deranged Lex Luthor was barreling down the highway on its way back to Metropolis. Luthor had been defeated; but not stopped. He was more determined than ever in his cause – which had escalated.

"I still have the blood work on Terra, we can restart the project using other test subjects –"

"Philip, I don't give a damn about Terra anymore." Luthor cut the scientist off in mid-sentence with bitterness in his voice that was unmistakable. "We have a bigger fish to fry – or should I say Bat."

"Sir?" Cobalt looked confused by this.

"Bruce Wayne is Batman." Luthor explained. "I'm sure of it. The supervillian community will be very interested in this news, Philip. There's a million different ways I can profit from knowing his secret, and I plan to explore each and every one of them."

Cobalt narrowed his eyes. This was ridiculous! What happened to making an army of earth-moving warriors? What had become of the global conquest thanks to Markov Blood plan? Had all of Cobalt's work been in vain, again?

"Sir, what about Terra?" Cobalt asked once again, desperation sinking into his voice.

"The Terra Project is cancelled, Philip." Luthor replied simply. "There's no reason for it. You failed. I'll keep you on my payroll, though, only because your mistake has lead me to Batman's identity. Just don't expect a raise anytime soon."

Luthor grinned devilishly and then he began to laugh, long and obnoxiously. Cobalt narrowed his thin eyes behind his spectacles. He was expected to just sit here and take this kind of abuse from Luthor? No sir, not Philip Cobalt. That was not going to happen. Cobalt looked over to his right. A small tray was sitting on the limousine seat not far from him. The tray held a small can of caviar, a few crackers and a knife for spreading the fish eggs. Cobalt's eyebrow rose above its normal position as an idea sprang into the scientist's head.

"Do you mind, sir?" Cobalt asked, indicating the tray of caviar.

Luthor looked at the caviar and shook his head. "Why not, Philip. You deserve one rich man's meal in your life."

"Thank you sir." Cobalt reached over to the tray and wrapped his fingers around the hilt of the knife. It was now, or never. He would make Luthor pay for canceling Project Terra. Cobalt had worked too hard and too long for things to end this way. He grabbed the knife and twisted around; prepared to drive the blade into Luthor's head in payback.

Luthor, however, was _not_ an idiot. On the contrary, he was a genius. The moment Cobalt had shown interest in the caviar, Luthor had reached his hand into a small glove box that was built into his chair's armrest. Inside was a six-shot revolver. When Cobalt turned around with the knife, Luthor fired two rounds into the scientist's chest.

Cobalt's eyes widened in a mixture of pain and surprise as his white jacket was suddenly stained with deep crimson liquid. Cobalt made a gurgling sound, and then fell backwards dead. Luthor returned the gun to its compartment and then opened the door of the limousine as they continued to drive. He grabbed Cobalt by the collar and pushed the man's body out of the car without a trace of remorse or mercy.

"Like I said Philip; consider your contract with Luthor Corp officially revoked." Luthor laughed as he closed the door once again. He bent forward and picked up the knife from where Cobalt dropped it, and then he moved the tray of caviar and crackers onto his lap and began spreading the fish eggs onto one of the saltines.

"This caviar's much too expensive for someone like you, anyway."

**

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**

Raven was lying under the heavy blankets of her bed, trying to clear her mind and get some sleep. It was not an easy task. Then again, after everything she had been through in the past few days it was perfectly understandable that she was wide awake. In her right hand was the pendant that Robin had given to her before he left to take Slade to jail. Robin had explained Arella's instructions about the pendant briefly before his departure, and this only further irritated Raven.

On the one hand, Raven was grateful to her mother for helping them like she did. If not for Arella's help, Robin would be dead and Trigon would probably have killed the rest of them too. It was more than just nice of her mother to give Robin that glove – although Raven was worried about that too. Robin was one of the bravest, strongest people she had ever met in her life – but he was still human. That glove was made by demons, for demons. Raven worried about what might happen to the boy wonder if he continued to use the glove's power.

Then there was the pendant. Raven examined it several times since Robin gave it to her; but she still could not make heads or tails of it or the strange, cryptic message that came from Arella. _Open the left side when you need wisdom; open the right for when you need protection._ What could that mean? Raven had tried to open both sides, but neither one budged a bit. There was no further explanation, and Raven had a suspicion she would have to actually ask her mother about it personally. That would have to wait for another day, however. Because there was one final reason as to why she was not sleeping yet; and that was the issue she decided to address first.

"What are you doing in my room?" Raven asked in her monotone voice.

The room appeared to be empty. Raven was the only person in sight. Of course, there was a fly on the ceiling. That was not unusual. The fact that the fly was green, however, was both unusual and a dead giveaway as to whom it really was. A moment after Raven spoke, the fly landed on the edge of her bed and transformed into a nervous looking Beast Boy.

"Dude, how did you—"

"I'm psychic." Raven reminded him. "Mind answering my question now?"

Beast Boy rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he twisted about so that he was facing the dark girl. "I just wanted to check on you, ya know? Make sure you were okay after everything . . ."

Raven turned over in the bed so she was lying on her side, facing away from Beast Boy. "I'm fine. How about letting me get some sleep now?"

Beast Boy, however, was not so easily fooled. He crawled his way across the bed until he was once again face to face with the Goth. "You don't look fine Rae. You looked stressed out."

"I'm just tired. I'll look better after I sleep; which I can't do until you leave."

"You don't trust me anymore, do you?" Beast Boy asked her bluntly.

When Raven did not answer him, Beast Boy sighed and dropped his head. He was afraid something like this might happen. The entire situation lately had not been smooth sailing between them. First, they got into that fight back in Jump City, and then Terra's reappearance had drudged up some painful memories for both of them.

"Rae, I'm sorry I –"

"This has nothing to do with me trusting you." Raven cut him off. "And it's not about Terra either."

Beast Boy blinked. Either Raven was lying to him, or there was something else going on. Beast Boy was not sure which of these possibilities sounded the worst. If she was lying, he couldn't figure out why she would want too; and if she wasn't, then what was causing her to be so distant? After the near-fatal run-ins at the prison, and losing her body to her father, he expected her to be a lot closer to him. Usually that's how these things worked. Beast Boy remembered that every time something horrible happened back on Tamaran it seemed like it led up to the two of them growing even closer. The time Slade had nearly killed Beast Boy, the time Trigon had manipulated the green titan, and Beast Boy's being kidnapped by cultists were a few events that came to mind. Now, however, it seemed like they were being driven apart.

"Then what's bothering you?" Beast Boy asked.

"Besides the fact you're keeping me awake? Not a thing." Raven replied.

"Rae, you've been laying here looking unhappy for half an hour. There's a lot more than just me on your mind." Beast Boy rebutted.

"_Fine_." Raven broke down. He may as well know everything. "When my mother saved Robin she gave him this." She tossed the pendant to Beast Boy. "She told him to give it to me; but I can't figure out why she wanted me to have it or what it does. It just bugs me, that's all."

Beast Boy held the pendant up to his eye. "Dude, does it open?" He asked, noticing the cracks in the side. Beast Boy attempted to pry it open but to no avail.

"Supposedly." Raven replied, stifling a yawn. "Look, it's late. Let's deal with this tomorrow. I really could use the sleep."

Beast Boy sighed and handed the pendant back to Raven. "Yeah, okay Rae." The green titan crawled back over to the edge of the bed and stood up. He walked halfway to the bedroom door before stopping and turning back around to look at Raven. "Are you going to be okay?" Beast Boy questioned.

"I'm fine. Really." Raven answered. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Once again, Beast Boy started towards the bedroom door, this time his hand was actually on the doorknob before he stopped and turned back around. He walked all the way back to the bed before Raven raised her eyebrow and stared at him.

"Didn't we just do this?"

"Don't I get a goodnight kiss?" Beast Boy asked her with an obnoxious grin plastered on his face.

"I'm about three seconds away from hurting you." Replied Raven with her eyes narrowing, but she could not hide a small grin on her lips.

"C'mon, please?" Beast Boy begged, putting on a playfully pouting face.

"One."

"You don't scare me Rae."

"Two."

"Just a little kiss? Please?"

Raven never got to three, and Beast Boy never finished begging. It was at that moment that the song began. The entire mansion was filled with a beautiful voice singing a sweet song. There didn't appear to be any words to this song, only a magnificent melody that filled the air and wisped into the ears of all of the titans. Raven had never heard anything like the song before. It was enchanting in its beautiful sound; and unbeknownst to her, it was just as deadly.

"What's that?" Raven pondered aloud, looking around for the source of the song. It seemed to be echoing from the very walls of the mansion.

Beast Boy stood absolutely still, rooted to the spot. He appeared to be in some kind of trance. His eyes were still and cold, staring off into space like a coma patient. His mouth was slightly open, and he was drooling a bit. The second Raven saw him she remembered when Mad Mod had hypnotized him the same way.

"Beast Boy?" Raven asked, approaching him slowly. "Are you –"

Suddenly the song changed. There were words now. Harsh words sung in a soft voice.

"_Make her blood spill like wine from a chalice,_

_Slaughter the traitor to Trigon's magnificent palace,_

_Make Raven pay for all that she's done,_

_Let her blood flow under the morning sun _

_Be brutal,_

_Be cruel,_

_Be terrible,_

_Annihilate that fool,_

_Murder Raven, send her straight to hell,_

_As soon as you hear the ringing of the bell . . ._"

"Okay, I'm guessing the songwriter isn't a fan." Raven's sarcasm came right on cue as she listened to the words of the strange song. The voice singing was every bit as sweet and delightful as it had been before words were added to the melody; but with this new addition the song had become downright creepy. Raven turned back to Beast Boy, ignoring the repeating chorus and returning her attention to her boyfriend.

Then the song stopped altogether.

Beast Boy shook his head and blinked his eyes several times. He clutched the top of his head like he had a horrible headache, and when he finally stopped blinking he looked over to Raven. "Dude . . . what happened?"

"Besides the creepy 'kill Raven' song?" Raven asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What song?" Beast Boy replied, a look of genuine confusion on his face.

"You've got to be kidding me." Raven muttered. "Are you telling me you didn't hear that?"

Then a new sound filled the room. It sounded like a bell ringing. Raven was just about to say something when Beast Boy screamed and fell to his knees. He clutched the sides of his head and buried his face between his legs, screaming the entire time. Raven ran to his side and placed comforting hands on his shoulders.

"Beast Boy? What is it? What's wrong?"

"Slaughter." Beast Boy replied, his voice drained of all emotions.

Raven remembered that last line of the song, and a horrible reality dawned on her. Beast Boy's hypnotic-like state, his lack of memories about the song, and now this bell . . . if she was right, she wasn't looking forward to what would happen next.

"Beast Boy?" Raven asked in a whisper. The green teen stopped screaming and let his hands fall to his side. He sat up and looked Raven directly in the eyes for a moment. Beast Boy's eyes were completely black, like a doll's eyes. Raven knew at that moment.

The ground turned black with Raven's mental energy as she melted into the ground in a split second, narrowly avoiding Beast Boy's punch as he threw it at her. When she reappeared behind him, Beast Boy turned around, transformed into a large green tiger, and pounced on her. Raven hit the ground and grunted beneath one of Beast Boy's large paws. She saw him raise the other paw and prepare to bring it down on her face.

"Azarath Metreon Zinthos!" Raven cried out before the paw could smash her face; several books zoomed off of the nearby bookshelf and smashed into Beast Boy's head, knocking him backwards and disorientating him. He lifted the paw off her chest and Raven quickly rolled away from him and climbed back to her feet. However, before she could react any further the tiger had become a monkey and jumped onto her shoulders.

Monkey-Beast Boy wrapped both of his tiny legs around Raven's throat and began squeezing, while using his hands to pull on her lavender hair at the same time. Raven felt short of breath with the monkey choking her, and she couldn't properly speak her incantation. She could, however, grab the small green monkey with her hand and pull him off her throat – and that is exactly what she did. However, Beast Boy sunk his small monkey teeth into her fingers, which caused Raven to gasp in pain and drop the little emerald primate. She looked down at her bleeding hand; but quickly she forgot all about it. Something else caught her eye.

That something was a large green grizzly bear.

"You can forget about that good night kiss." Raven managed to mutter before she had to dodge one of Beast Boy's massive arms. The bear's attack missed her, but he managed to hit the bed behind her and smash it clear in two. Raven wrapped the bear up in her energy and tossed him into the ceiling. The blow managed to do two things; break a hole in the ceiling, and knock Beast Boy unconscious. He transformed back into his normal self and landed on the broken bed with a thump.

Raven glanced down at her boyfriend with uneasy eyes. The only movement in his body was the shallow rise and fall of his chest as he breathed in and out. There was a thick trickle of dark red blood running out of his forest green hair; and Raven felt sick. Her stomach was tied up in painful knots and she had the sudden desire to vomit. She had just beaten the hell out of the person she loved – and that's never a good feeling.

"Sorry Beast Boy." She whispered quietly before she turned and headed out of the door. She knew she wasn't out of danger yet; she needed to find Starfire and Terra. They'd be able to help her.

Unfortunately as she stepped out of the second-floor bedroom and headed towards the stairs of Wayne Manor, she ran into Tim Drake and Bruce Wayne; who were currently dressed as Batman and Robin. Raven stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed that behind their masks their eyes were black voids – just as Beast Boy's had become after the ringing of the bell.

"Damn." Raven cursed quietly as she projected and energy shield around herself. Just in time, too, because both Wayne and Drake threw a moment later explosives at her a moment later. The gothic titan flew backwards, keeping her energy shield up. However, Batman threw another bomb and this one was too potent for Raven to block completely. The energy shield absorbed most of the blast; but it was so powerful the black shield cracked like glass and shattered. Raven was thrown to the ground by the aftershock of the bomb. Before she could return to her feet, Tim Drake had leapt on top of her and punched her directly in the face. Raven grunted in pain. She could feel blood leaking from her nose down her face.

Tim pulled his fist back for a second punch; but a starbolt caught him in the chest and sent him flying backwards. A second bright green ball of energy smashed into Batman's waistline and he fell to his knees clutching his stomach.

Raven wiped her still-bleeding nose clean on her cape, stood up, and turned to see the redheaded princess floating behind her with a confused expression.

"Raven, why are our friends attacking you–"

"I'll explain later, for now we have to get out of here!" Raven cut her off.

"But I do not –" Starfire objections were cut short by the sound of a roar.

The wall to the left of them burst open a split-second later as a green Tyrannosaurus Rex rammed its enormous head through it. Beast Boy had woken up. Beast Boy tried to push his giant dinosaur body through the hole, but wound up being stuck. Raven and Starfire both flew up into the air and watched for a moment as Beast Boy struggled in the wall. Then he transformed into a pterodactyl and flew out of the hole. He aimed his beak-like nose at the girls and squawked as he flew directly at them.

That's when a marble bust of Bruce's father flew off it's pedestal and smashed into Beast Boy's stomach. The pterodactyl let out a cry of pain and fell down to the floor; hitting the ground and reverting back into his human form.

"What's going on?" Terra asked as she appeared at the top of the stairs, stepping around Bruce and Tim's unconscious bodies. She had used her powers to throw the bust; which being made of marble, a form of rock, had been controllable to her.

"Explanations will have to wait till we tie these three up." Raven informed her. "And keep and eye out for the butler; he'll be under the spell too."

"What spell?" Starfire asked as she and Raven landed.

"It's called The Siren's Song." A cold feminine voice filled the room. All three of the girls spun around to their rights to find Sadira leaning against the wall. The red-skinned demon was twirling a stand of her long silvery hair around one finger and wearing a sinister smile on her face. "It's a specialty of mine; causes men to do whatever I want them too. And right now I want them to kill you, dear sister."

Raven narrowed her eyes. Terra and Starfire both looked towards Raven and echoed the same word. "Sister?"

"Yeah. That's my big sister Sadira." Raven sighed. "Let's just say I get along with her about as well as you do with your sister, Star. Feel free to give her a beating. Titans G—"

Raven didn't get a chance to finish Robin's catchphrase. There was a blinding flash of light and each of the three girls lost the ability to see. A moment later they each received a painful kick in the ribs and fell to their knees.

Alfred had thrown a flash bang grenade and used his karate skills on the girls. They had disabled the three mind-controlled superheroes; but the butler managed to take them all out.

Sadira smiled.

**

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	32. Bad Things Always Happen In The Kitchen

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

"Bad Things Happen In The Kitchen"

**A/N**: One thing several people asked about last chapter was where Robin was when everything was going on. Robin, Cyborg and Batgirl were taking Slade to prison when Sadira attacked. I mentioned that last chapter, or at least I thought I did. If I did not, I apologize; for I meant too. This chapter shall be dedicated to **Caitlyn and Paula**, with mucho warm and fuzzies. O'course I still love you two, stop being silly.

**

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**

Clang.

The metallic doors clicked into place with a heavy thud as the bolts interlocked. Arkham Asylum is home to the most dangerous criminals in Gotham City. Due to the recent riot at the prison, much of the facility was in need of repairs and remodeling. However, the maximum security wing was still fully operation. It was a single, dimly lit hallway. The walls were made of harsh black stone. The cells were small and enclosed, consisting of only cots, toilets and small shelves for the prisoners to keep their things on. Thick bullet-proof plastic separated the prisoner's cells from the hallway. It was inside one of these cells that Slade Wilson now resided.

"I want answers."

Robin stood outside the plastic barrier, facing his arch enemy at last. Slade's uniform had been replaced with the standard orange jump suit, and his mask was gone leaving only the unshaven face of the true Slade Wilson.

"Certainly. Provide a question first." Slade replied.

"Shut up. You've been connected to everything that's happened to us Slade. Ever since this began, things keep leading back to you. It ends tonight. I want to know who else is involved in all of this."

Cyborg and Batgirl stood behind Robin, each of them also facing the unmasked fiend but neither of them able to say a single word. They knew it was best to leave Robin to deal with Slade. Robin alone knew the best way to get through to the psychopathic mind of Slade.

"What, do you think this is all some big conspiracy? I'm afraid I haven't the faintest clue who else wants you dead; but it is delightful to hear I'm not the only one."

"Stop playing games with me Slade!" Robin yelled, stepping closer to the plastic screen that separated the two. Slade didn't even blink; but he did smile.

"How long do you suppose your luck can hold for, Robin?" Slade asked in a quiet, cold voice. "How many times can you cheat death of its prize before it finally catches up with you? I have a feeling your luck is running out."

"And I have a feeling I'm wasting my time." Robin replied. "Enjoy prison life, Slade."

"_You_ enjoy life Robin; yours will be over very soon." Slade shot back, then he turned around and walked over to his cot. He sat down and leaned his head back in a relaxed manner that made Robin shake with fury. The boy wonder didn't understand how Slade could take defeat so easily. The one-eyed villain had never accepted his fate easily before; the fact that he was now convinced Robin that Slade had a few tricks left up his sleeve.

"You must be the Teen Titans."

Cyborg, Batgirl and Robin whipped around in the hallway. They were supposed to be the only ones in this sector of the prison; but they were not. Magus stood to their left, leaning against the wall while his cape fell over his shoulders. The demon smirked a spiteful smile as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"Yeah we are; and who're you?" Cyborg asked.

"My name is Magus; I believe you knew my father, Trigon." Magus replied casually. "I'm just here to watch the festivities. Azarock wanted to be the one to crush your skulls, didn't you Azarock?"

From the right side of the hallway, behind the Titans, a low growling voice spoke. "Indeed I did brother."

Robin looked to his right. Azarock had appeared from the shadows. The gigantic demon with the upper-body of a man and lower-body of a cockroach had crawled down the path of the high security area. Azarock lifted his gigantic red arms up to his side and flexed his impressive muscles.

"Ooooo-kay. Robin, you got any ideas?" Cyborg asked, sweating a bit. Azarock was huge; fighting him was going to be difficult. And Cyborg was smart enough to realize that Magus was probably every bit as strong as his oversized brother, if not stronger.

"Titans, Go!" Was Robin's only response. Cyborg ran down the hallway towards Azarock and threw a punch with his right arm. Azarock countered and grabbed the end of Cyborg's fist.

"Hah, pathetic human!" Azarock laughed.

"Kiss my metal ass!" Cyborg replied. His hand transformed into its arm-cannon form inside Azarock's fist and Cyborg let loose with a powerful blast of sonic energy. Azarock screamed out in pain as his arm received the full dose of the blast and snapped backwards. His arm shot behind his back at an angle and a loud cracking noise filled the air; alongside Azarock's inhuman screamed.

"Booyah!" Cyborg's trademark battle cry sounded.

Meanwhile Robin and Batgirl had taken to fighting Magus. Robin whipped a exploding disc at the villain, and Batgirl likewise threw one of her own explosives at him. Magus grabbed the edge of his scarlet cape and held it up in front of him like a shield. The explosives went off and created an enormous blast; but when the smoke cleared Magus hadn't received so much as a scratch.

"You'll have to do better than that." Magus hissed.

"Then try this!" Robin balled his fist and aimed his new glove at Magus. The stone on top flashed white and then transformed into a large scarlet ruby. The next moment Robin's hand burst into flames and a string of fire erupted from his fist and flew towards Magus. Magus once again stood calmly and used his cape as a shield for the flames. The fire splattered on the cape and bounced off in every direction around Magus. The walls were engulfed and the plastic divides of the jail cells on either side of him were melted open – but once again he stood damage free.

"That's a dandy little toy you've got there, Robin." Magus smirked. "No doubt a gift obtained from Raven's little bitch of a mother. But I'm afraid it takes more than a fancy glove to match a real demon's strength; observe!"

Magus lifted his hands above his head and began muttering something in a language Robin had never heard before. Black flames started to swirl around Magus's hands and Robin's eyes widened. Robin balled fist again, this time turning the ruby into a black garnet. His glove began to glow with black light and he held it up in front of him.

Magus yelled and threw a jet of fire towards the titans; Robin caught it in his gloved hand and absorbed the demonic flames into the glove before they could singe anything. Magus seemed surprisingly pleased by this development.

"HEY! I COULD USE SOME HELP OVER HERE!"

Robin and Batgirl twisted around on the spot. Cyborg was in trouble. Azarock's left arm was still snapped back behind him, apparently dislocated or perhaps broken. Whatever the ailment, he still had his right arm and he was holding Cyborg tightly in his grip with it. Cyborg was struggling to keep the demon from crushing him like a used soda can; but it looked like he was failing.

"Hang on!" Robin shouted. "Babs, distract this guy; I'll help Cyborg!"

"Whatever you say." Barbara replied. She hurled several explosives at Magus; who flicked his hand through the air and caused the explosive balls to smash into one another and destroy themselves before they ever reached him.

Robin jumped onto Azarock's cockroach-like abdomen and aimed a kick at the part of his back that looked human. Robin's kick connected and there was a loud crack. Azarock yelled out in pain and dropped Cyborg from his grasps. He reached his hand around, trying to grab Robin; but as the hand approached him Robin transformed the gem on the glove into a ruby once again and tossed a fireball into Azarock's open fist. Azarock's hand enclosed over the fireball; which charred his skin painfully and caused the demon to howl out in discomfort.

"Damn you human!" Azarock cursed.

"Hey, all you demons talk a lot of crap about us humans; but we just keep on kicking your butts." Cyborg grinned. He pressed his cannon arm up against Azarock's chest and fired. The close-range blast sent Cyborg flying backwards into a wall; which he wasn't too thrilled about. But it was worth it; since the blast also ruptured Azarock's thick-hided chest and sent the demon sprawling back as well. Azarock's singed hand went to the spot where he'd been shot; which was now oozing with thick, dark blood.

"Argh! I won't lose! NOT TO A HUMAN!" Azarock screamed. He stomped his feet on the ground and the entire earth began to shake. Azarock continued stomping his feet and pounding his charred hand against the wall. Robin gulped. The walls and floor were shaking, and if they didn't stop Azarock quickly he'd bring down Arkham Asylum around them.

Robin transformed the glove into the black garnet again. He balled his fist and watched the black light engulf his hand from the wrist down. He had to absorb Azarock into the glove like he'd done with Trigon if he wanted to stop the beast from bringing down the entire prison with his stomping around. The prison's foundation was already weak from the huge riot earlier.

Robin shot the black light from his glove and it wrapped around Azarock. Azarock grunted and screamed, but he couldn't fight it. There was a bright flash and suddenly the enormous half-man, half-cockroach demon was gone. Robin screamed out loud as his glove glowed with a dark scarlet light and Azarock's powers and his soul-self was added to the glove to join Slade's demon energy and Trigon's soul-self. Robin fell to his knees, his head pounding in pain. Arella had never mentioned how painful it was to contain so much evil inside his glove.

"You okay man?" Cyborg asked, rushing to Robin's side.

"I'm fine; go help Babs!" Robin replied quickly, rubbing his head with his left hand and keeping his right one at his side.

"What a spectacle! That was a true battle." Magus grinned as Robin and Cyborg rushed to join Batgirl. "Unfortunately I cannot stay any longer Titans, but I'm sure our paths will cross again."

"You're not going anywhere." Robin growled.

"No, but you are." Magus replied. "You see, as we speak Azarock's sister Sadira is at Wayne Manor taking care of your friends. We're connected mentally, as I'm sure you realize. She just informed me of her success in capturing Raven, Starfire and Terra. She wants to know whether she should kill them now or keep them alive for a while. What do you think she outta do?"

Robin's eyes narrowed. "You're bluffing."

Magus snapped his fingers. The air in front of him swirled around and suddenly a portal, very similar to the kind Arella had summoned, appeared. Robin, Cyborg and Batgirl looked on in horror as they saw Starfire, Raven and Terra lying unconscious the kitchen at Wayne Manor. The portal disappeared a moment later and once again, they were face to face with a grinning Magus.

"'fraid I'm not bluffing, Titans. Would you look at the time?" Magus glanced to a digital clock that hug on the wall over the guard's booth. "It's thirty minutes to midnight. Sadira always had a flare for the dramatics; I'm sure she's waiting for the clock to strike twelve before she murders your friends. What with the trip back to Wayne Manor, even if you left right now you'd barley have enough time to get in the door before midnight. So what will it be, boy wonder? You can beat me with that glove of yours, I'm sure – but it will mean sacrificing that pretty redheaded friend of yours."

"Trigon pulled this same kind of thing." Robin grunted. "You'll end up just like he did."

"You mean an all-powerful demonic ruler? I sure hope so." Magus sarcastically replied.

"Rob man, forget him. We gotta move." Cyborg sighed.

"We will be seeing each other again." Robin promised. Then he turned around and ran towards the stairs that led out of Arkham Asylum's maximum security ward. Cyborg and Batgirl followed him silently but quickly. Once they had vanished, Slade stood up from his cot and walked over to the plastic divider so that he was facing Magus. Magus turned to observe the human.

"It's a genius plan." Slade complimented. "You're much cleverer than Trigon was."

"I appreciate the praise, Slade, but what would you know of my plans?" Magus questioned suspiciously.

"Please; we're both professionals here. Don't insult my intelligence." Slade hissed. "You went easy on them. You allowed Batgirl to keep you busy while Robin absorbed Azarock into the glove. You played defense the entire battle. If you'd wanted too, you could have beaten Batgirl and saved your brother. However, you didn't. I can only think that you did that because you _wanted_ Robin to absorb Azarock's energy. And from the way you sent them all after your sister, I'd say you want Robin to do the same to her."

Magus's lips curved into a smile. "Very observant. As a matter of fact you're exactly right. I see now why my father chose to work with you. Just how clever are you, Slade?"

"Clever enough to guess there's only two possible reasons why you'd want Robin to become even stronger." Slade replied.

"Oh really?" Magus inquired.

"Of course. Either you want to wait until Robin's glove has an enormous amount of demon energy and then you want to steal it from him; or you want him to absorb so much energy he loses control over it."

Magus let out a loud laugh. "You _are_ good. Yes, as a matter of fact it's the latter. Robin is only human. You saw what happened to him when he absorbed Azarock. If he absorbs Sadira as well, it will overload that glove. No human would be able to withstand that much evil."

Slade had to know. This was Robin they were talking about; and Slade's long history with the boy compelled him to ask in a voice that sounded almost hungry. "What happens to the boy when the glove takes in too much evil?"

Magus grinned. "Why don't you come along and see for yourself? Normally I detest your race, but you Slade, are an exception." Magus snapped his fingers and the plastic divider shattered like glass. "Come with me Slade; let's go watch the Teen Titans die, shall we?"

Slade nodded. "I can't pass up an invitation like that."

**

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Terra opened her eyes and blinked several times. Her stomach hurt horribly; as did her head. She was lying on her back on the cold tile floor of Bruce Wayne's kitchen. The last thing she remembered was seeing a bright flash from the flash bang grenade and then feeling a sharp kick connect with the side of her face. Terra slowly pulled herself up into a sitting position. She was about three feet away from the refrigerator in the kitchen, apparently unguarded. A few feet to her left she noticed Starfire lying on her side. Terra stood up and started to walk towards the redhead.

"Don't move!"

Terra spun around and saw Raven. The goth girl was sitting cross-legged in mid-air to Terra's left. "Terra, don't move an inch."

"Why?" Terra asked, completely confused.

"Look down around you." Raven ordered.

Terra looked down at the white kitchen tile beneath her. For the first time she noticed a circle of what appeared to be sand around her. It was a narrow circle, not that far in each direction. Her right foot was only inches away from the black sand. Terra took a closer look at Starfire and noticed a similar circle of black sand was around the redhead; and surely enough when she turned back to Raven she noticed sand around her as well.

"What's the story with the sand?" Terra asked, placing a hand on her hip.

"It's a demonic rune circle." Raven said in a hallow voice. "If you try to exit the circle, you'll burst into flames."

Terra's eyes widened a bit and she scooted closer to the center of the circle. Carefully she sat back down, being sure not to go anywhere near the black sand. After tucking a stand of her yellow hair behind her head, she looked back at Raven. "What's going on?"

"Sadira must have set up these rune circles after Alfred kicks our butts." Raven replied in her monotone voice. "I'm not sure why she's keeping us alive; but you can bet it's not for our benefit."

"Can't we escape?" Terra asked.

"No." This time Starfire was the one to reply. Terra turned back to her left and found the redhead was now sitting up and facing her. "Raven and I have already tried all we could think of. There is no way to exit the circles."

Terra smirked. "Then let's just break the circles. It's sand, right? I can control it and –"

"DON'T!" Raven screamed loudly, real fear filling her voice. Terra had already lifted one hand; but she quickly dropped it.

"Why not?" Terra asked.

"If the circles of sand are broken or disturbed by anyone other than the person who formed them; they explode." Raven explained very quickly. "If you try to move the sand the blast would be strong enough to annihilate half of Gotham."

"So . . . I guess we have to wait for Robin and the others to get back from Arkham Asylum to rescue us, eh?" Terra asked, hopefully. Robin, Cyborg and Batgirl had taken Slade to prison in Arkham Asylum several hours ago, and they should be back any time.

"Wrong again." Raven replied. "Sadira can control men. Robin and Cyborg would become her slaves just like the others, and Batgirl would be outnumbered on all sides. We have to figure something out and get out of here ourselves."

Terra sighed and hugged her knees up to her chest. "What can we do?"

"You can sit there and wait for the sweet surrender of death."

The three girls all turned their heads in the direction of the kitchen door. Sadira had appeared with a sinister smile on her red-skinned face. The silver-haired demoness strutted into the room with a superior grin on her lips as her dark eyes scanned the three superheroes who were her prisoners.

"This has nothing to do with my friends." Raven insisted. "Let them go."

"Oh please." Sadira laughed. "Has that line ever worked?"

"We may not be able to leave these circles; but our powers still can." Starfire threatened, her hands taking on a familiar green glow. Sadira flipped her hair back with a smug smirk.

"True. You could still attack me if you wanted too; but I wouldn't advise it. Don't forget, I still control your friends every movement. You try to touch me and I'll make Beast Boy turn into a spider and thrown himself down Batman's throat. That'd be fun, wouldn't it?"

Starfire's hands turned back to normal and the redheaded princess collapsed to her knees, biting her lower lip the entire time. Raven stood up.

"Is this why you're keeping us alive? To torment us with threats?"

"Partially." Sadira admitted. "Don't worry none, I'm killing you off at midnight. I love doing things dramatically, don't you know." Sadira twisted her head around to look at the clock on the kitchen wall. "Seven minutes till midnight. Can you guess what happens at midnight Raven?"

"You get your ass kicked by the Teen Titans."

Sadira spun around with her eyes wide. The three titan girls all looked up to the entrance of the kitchen. Robin, Cyborg and Batgirl had appeared.

"How did you – Magus said you were as good as dead!" Sadira spat.

"Well Magus is a liar, ain't he?" Cyborg grinned, aiming his arm cannon.

Sadira relaxed the tension in her shoulder and looked down at the ground. "Very well. We'll do things the hard way."

The red-skinned demon woman looked back up and her silver hair shimmered in the dim lighting of the kitchen, reflecting from the moonlight filtering in through the window. Sadira opened her mouth and started to sing.

"_Hello Teen Titans, how are you little boys,_

_Running around Gotham with your fancy toys,_

_Listen to my voice, heed the siren's song,_

_Surrender your free will at the song of dong,_

_Wait for the bell to strike ding-dong,_

_Wait for the bell and your sanity's gone,_

_You can't resist the call of this demoness,_

_Now murder your friends, I command this!_"

Sadira stepped back with a satisfied smile as she finished the twisted song. It was only after she looked back up at the Titans that she noticed something wasn't quite right. None of their eyes were glowing black; and she couldn't understand why.

"Half-robot; mind-control doesn't work on me." Cyborg grinned and explained; just as he had when Brother Blood tried a similar trick.

"And I was protected by the glove." Robin smirked. The jewel on top of the glove was the black garnet. He had used the glove's powers to absorb the hypnotic energies of the song.

"And I'm a woman, but you probably guessed that from the way my suit fits me." Batgirl laughed, extracting a bat-a-rang from her belt.

Sadira wasn't amused.

"It doesn't matter . . . slaughter them!" Sadira screamed. From behind the boys, Beast Boy, Batman, Alfred and Tim Drake all appeared. Their eyes were still solid black and all four of them, despite the injuries the girls had inflicted earlier, looked ready for a fight.

Robin snapped his fingers and the black garnet on top of his demon glove transformed into the white diamond of healing. "Titan's, Go!"

Robin did a back-flip over Cyborg and Batgirl, and over the ranks of their hypnotized friends. As Batman, Tim Drake and Beast Boy turned around to face Robin he shot them all with a blast of white energy from the glove. Each of them fought against the white light that was wrapping around their bodies; but to no avail. There was a flash and the three superheroes fell to their knees.

"Dude . . . what happened?" Beast Boy asked, rubbing his head.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Sadira screamed.

"Naw, the only thing 'impossible' around here is a few days peace and quiet. Seriously, I'm sick of all you demons and supervillians!" Cyborg said as he aimed his arm cannon at Sadira and fired a sonic blast. Sadira threw up her arms; but they did little to shield her from Cyborg's attack and she flew across the room slamming into the refrigerator.

"Robin, hit her now!" Batgirl called. She threw a disc at Sadira and it struck the demoness in the chest. There was a bright explosion of light and Sadira was incased in a thick sheet of ice from her neck down to her ankles; keeping her frozen against the side of the fridge.

"I'm on it!" Robin transformed the jewel back into the garnet and aimed his fist. He fired the black light onto Sadira and it wrapped around her like a snake. Sadira struggled and screamed, trying to escape from both her icy prison and the demonic aura. She was unsuccessful in both attempts. There was a bright flash and Sadira disappeared – her energies and soul-self sucked right into the glove like Azarock before her.

When Sadira vanished; two things happened. One, Robin screamed very loudly, clutched his head with both hands, and collapsed down to his knees. The second thing to happen was the disappearance of the rings of sand around the girls.

It was a good thing the sand vanished; because Starfire shot across the room like a bullet and flew to Robin's side with concern bubbling over in her bright green eyes.

"Robin! Are you hurt?" She leaned down close to him, reaching a comforting hand out and placing it on his shoulder.

Robin rose his head up and stopped screamed. He took Starfire's hand in his own. "I've never been better Star." He squeezed her hand.

Starfire, and the rest of the heroes who had all been staring on at the couple in silent concern, let out a sigh of relief. Starfire kissed the top of Robin's messy hair-do; but she broke away a second later with a look of discomfort on her face.

"Robin, perhaps you could loosen your grip on my hand." Starfire asked, clearly showing that he was squeezing too hard and that she was in pain.

"Perhaps you can shut the hell up." Robin replied. Starfire blinked as if she hadn't heard him right; but a moment later Robin swung his arm with tremendous force – force much too powerful for any human to wield – and toss Starfire over his shoulder like she was a stuffed animal. Starfire smashed her head against the nearby kitchen counter and blood tricked down from her forehead.

The onlookers were divided. Half of them stood aghast and screamed out Robin's name in horror; the other half yelled for Starfire with worry filling their voices.

Robin stood up and turned around to face the others. The eyes beneath his mask were glowing bright red. . .

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	33. The Demon King and the Alien Princess

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

"The Demon King and the Alien Princess"

**A/N**: As always, I must thank every one of you for your reviews and your time in reading. This chapter, as promise, is all about Robin and Starfire; since they have not had a spotlight chapter in quite some time. Don't expect a happy ending, though. This chapter to be dedicated too **LadyHood**. Thanks for reading and reviewing so much; you're awesome. Also I need to give a special thank you to **Caitlyn**, who left the 264th review, which is actually review number **300** when added to the Mediaminer count. Wheeeee! Thank you sooooo much Caitlyn, for ze reading and ze reviewing and ze helping me achieve big pretty number. XD Seriously though, thank you to EVERYONE who has read and reviewed so far. It's awesome; and I'll be sure to work extra hard on the rest of this story. Oh, and did I mention that Tuesday, June 14, 2005 is the four month anniversary of this fanfic's debut? Well, I have now.

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"Robin! What the hell's wrong with you man!" Cyborg shouted as he watched Robin fling Starfire into the kitchen counter.

"What's wrong with me, tin-man?" Robin replied with venom in his voice. "For starters I'm stuck here with you losers, that's enough to piss me off."

"Dude, look at his eyes." Beast Boy pointed a gloved finger towards the boy wonder's masked face. His eyes were entirely red, glowing with a fearsome light that reminded everyone of the glow they had seen inside Trigon the Terrible's eyes whenever he became enraged.

"Enough talk!" Robin leapt forward, grabbing his bo-staff from his belt and extending it. He brought the edge of the silver staff down on Beast Boy's head, sending the green teen sprawling to the ground. Robin twisted around and landed a kick in Cyborg's back, knocking the half-man, half-robot forward. As Cyborg tried to turn around, Robin smashed his bo-staff into Cyborg's face. His head snapped backwards and knocked against the kitchen floor.

"Robin, stop it!" Raven commanded. A moment later she had wrapped him in her energy; containing him briefly. Robin didn't stay trapped for long, though. His glove glowed with a black light and Raven's aura disappeared into the garnet jewel.

"You'll have to do better than that!" Robin hissed; then he threw his bo-staff like a spear. Raven didn't have a chance to dodge as it collided swiftly with her stomach, sending her falling down to her knees clutching herself in pain. Robin grinned and started to step forward when a pair of green tentacles wrapped around his feet and caused him to trip and fall on his face. As he tried to get up the floor burst open and large columns of dirt and mud shot from the soil beneath Wayne Manor and covered the boy wonder's body. A moment later the mud and dirt hardened into stone while glowing yellow from Terra's powers. Once Robin was contained safely by the hardened mud and dirt, Beast Boy, who had been an octopus, released his grip on Robin's legs and shape-shifted back to normal.

"Okay, somebody want to tell me what his problem is?" Beast Boy asked angrily as he hurried across the room to Raven's side and helped her up.

"Seriously." Cyborg seconded Beast Boy's statement while rubbing his own sore head.

"Dick, what the hell's the matter with you?" Batgirl was standing over Robin, shouting at him.

"Are you alright?" Bruce Wayne, meanwhile, had found his way over to Starfire and helped the alien girl off the floor. Starfire had her face buried in her hands, but Batman gently forced them away. Her hands were covered in a mixture of blood from her forehead and tears from her eyes. She was just as confused by Robin's sudden outburst as everyone else – but it affected her in a way none of the others could possibly imagine.

"No." Starfire whispered quietly. Physically she was fine. Her forehead had received a nasty cut just below her hairline when Robin smashed her head into the counter – but she had been through much worse. Starfire was tough, and it would take more than that to break her physically. Emotionally, however, she was a wreck – and everyone could understand why. While Batman tried to come to Starfire's aid, the rest of the group had gathered around the imprisoned Robin.

"It's that red chick! She must have him mind-controlled." Beast Boy was saying to the group. "Like she did with me and –""

"It isn't Sadira." Terra shook her head. "Robin absorbed her with his glove."

Raven shut her eyes. "It's the glove. This has something to do with that glove. He should not have it. No human should. It's done something to him; corrupted him somehow."

"No kidding. I can't believe he attacked Star." Beast boy said, lowering his head and his voice as the realization of what had happened hit him powerfully.

"Oh cry me a river." Robin hissed.

"Shut up." Batgirl took off one of her gloves, balled it up, and stuffed it into Robin's mouth.

"So what do we do?" Tim Drake asked as he leaned back against one of the kitchen counters, his masked eyes trained on Robin. "I mean, this is only temporary, right? We can change him back, can't we?"

Everyone seemed to turn his or her eyes to Raven. A few feet away the still-trembling Starfire looked up for the answer to this one. Raven cast a glance towards the Tamaranian girl, and then she looked down at her feet.

"I . . . don't know." Raven said her voice dropping down to a barley audible level. The truth was, this was her department. The weird, creepy, demon things were her territory. She had always been the one who understood the supernatural and the strange. The others had turned to her for answers when faced with problems like this; and this time she had no answers.

Raven leaned against the opposite counter, running her hands through her lavender hair. She was not sure what she should do. She knew the problem. Robin had fooled around with demonic powers beyond human control; and now he was paying the price. This was all Arella's fault. She had given Robin that stupid glove. She should have known better! After all, she was a human who had messed with the dark realm. She knew the eternal price she had to pay for her own foolishness. She knew the scar she had left on her daughter because of her sins. How could she willingly invite another human into that kind of world?

Raven's eyes shot open. She reached a hand up around her neck and brought her finger in contact with the cold gold chain of the pendant she wore around her neck. The golden pendant that Robin had given her on behalf of her mother was still in place around Raven's neck. She recalled fooling around with the trinket before, telling Beast Boy about it as she pondered the cryptic message from Arella.

_Open the right side when you are in need or protection; open the left for when you need wisdom_.

Raven clasped her hands around the circular pendant. She could use some wisdom right now. She had not been able to open the pendant before in her room; no matter how hard she tried. Still, she could see the deep look of sadness inside Starfire's emerald eyes; and she saw the evil inside Robin's ruby red ones. She would have to figure this out, for their sakes.

After all, at the end of the day, all of this was _her_ fault. Every twist, every turn, every battle and every death along the way was because of Raven. The trap on Tamaran, all of the chaos since they got back; it was all rooted in her existence. She tried to ignore that fact whenever she could, but it was becoming harder and harder these days.

Raven gripped the medallion tightly in her hands and tried to open the left side. She dug her nails down deep into the crevice between the main gold medallion and the left door; but it would not open. The hedges refused to swing. Raven concentrated her energies on it and the medallion turned black with light; but it still refused to open.

"Damn it mother, why do you insist on making things so complicated?" Raven muttered.

The others had fallen quiet in the meanwhile. Cyborg, Terra and Tim Drake were standing guard over Robin's body. Batman and Beast Boy were doing their best to comfort Starfire. Alfred and Batgirl had vanished to the Batcave. Alfred was busy searching Batman's extensive computer network for anything that could help them with possession; while Batgirl was trying to contact other heroes around the world by videoconference for advice. She had already spoken to Superman, the Green Lantern and Wonder Woman; and sadly, none of them could be of any help. Alfred was halfway through Batman's entire database; his luck no better than Barbara's.

Raven sighed and stopped struggling with the pendant. Her mother had said she could open it in a time of need and get the wisdom she sought. Well, she was seeking wisdom but could not get the pendant open. That was ironic; but not in a good way. Raven glanced over at Robin and she felt guilt twinge up inside her. Then she turned her eyes to Starfire and she almost broke down.

She was hurting her friends again.

Robin had been the first person on Earth to earn her trust. After she came here from Azarath, she had been shunned by every superhero she had met. She tried to join the Justice League, but they turned her away. It was not until she went to Gotham and met Robin that she found acceptance among the heroes of this planet. It was because she met Robin that they founded the Teen Titans. He had always been there for her. She could not describe it. Some might have said he was like a brother to her – but all of her actual brothers were psychotic demons who wanted to destroy Raven, so she could not quite picture him like that. Now Robin's soul had been tainted evil while he was trying to help her.

Moreover, Starfire. Sure, Starfire could become annoying. No matter how many times Raven said 'no', Starfire always convinced her to go to the 'mall of shopping' with her. And no matter how many times Raven refused, somehow Starfire always managed to get the goth girl to try on and buy at least one article of clothing she detested. Raven's closet back at the tower was filled with outfits that she would never wear, but had bought just because Starfire had insisted. Sure, it was a weird friendship – but it was one that meant a lot to her. Now the person whom Starfire loved the most in the world was possessed and had attacked her; because of Raven.

Raven gritted her teeth and pulled on the pendant again. She needed some answers; and if this pendant had any, she was going to get them no matter what. Raven stopped pulling the sides after a moment as a realization dawned on her. Why was she wasting time doing things physically? If this pendant had something to do with Azarath and had, as Robin claimed, come from The Azar, then it would have to be opened telepathically.

Closing her eyes and clearing her mind, Raven set the pendant down on the floor and then sat down in front of her. She crossed her legs and extended her arms to the side in a meditation pose.

"Azarath, Metreon, Zinthos. Azarath, Metreon, Zinthos."

The pendant rose up into the air, surrounded by a black aura, and the left side popped open. There was a blazing blast of white light that illuminated the entire kitchen and caused everyone to shut their eyes tightly and shield their faces. Raven squinted her eyes open just a tad and watched, as the figure of a woman appeared to step out of the pendant.

When the light faded, Arella was standing in the kitchen of Wayne Manor.

The reaction was instantaneous. Everyone there, save Raven, struck up a battle pose. Obviously since none of them aside from Raven and Robin had ever met Arella, they only did what came natural to heroes. They prepared for the worst. It had been one villain after another for as long as they could remember; so they just assumed this strange woman in white was next on the list. Raven quickly rose to her feet.

"Mother!" She shouted, loud enough for everyone to hear. Those who had been ready for a fight lowered their weapons; and Beast Boy scratched his head and looked at Cyborg in wonder, but Cyborg had no answers.

"Hello child." Arella smiled. "You opened the pendant I see."

"You have some nerve." Raven hissed, anger melting in her voice.

Arella seemed hurt by this outburst. "What do you mean?"

"What the hell were you thinking?" Raven demanded; there wasn't a shred of respect or kindness in her voice as she berated her mother. "Why did you give Robin that glove?"

Arella shut her eyes. "It was the only way to help you, Raven."

"Damn it Arella, what makes you think I'd even want to be helped at this kind of price?" Raven asked bitterly.

"It was Robin's decision. He choose to bear this burden." Arella said simply. One of the nearby lights in the kitchen was covered in a black aura for a moment and then exploded into pieces; Raven was angry.

"And now he's got all of Trigon, Azarock and Sadira inside him; and he's completely evil." Raven accused.

"Raven." Arella turned away from her daughter and walked towards the still-bound Robin. Her white cape enclosed tightly around her body, as if it was being blown against her by some unseen wind. She bent down low and placed her hand on Robin's forehead. A moment later, Robin passed out. "He is not yet lost. There is still time to save his soul."

"How?" Starfire blurted out. All eyes in the room turned towards her.

"It is quite simple, actually." Arella said with a soft smile on her face. "I shall use my powers to project his soul onto an Astral Plane; and then I shall send someone else to that same Astral Plane. The evil inside of Robin will manifest itself and the person sent there must break the evil's hold on his soul. If it is done successful, Robin shall be free of the evil infestation and I can return his cleansed soul to his body. And should we fail to cleanse his soul, it shall remain in the Astral Plane forever; so that the evil that had taken root of him cannot be reborn."

Beast Boy timidly stepped forward and asked the question nagging at his brain. "Right. When you say 'the evil', you're talking about Trigon, aren't you?"

Arella turned around and surveyed Beast Boy with her quiet eyes. Then she nodded her head. "Not quite. The glove breaks down the soul-selves of the demons it absorbs. Trigon, Azarock and Sadira's soul-selves would have all combined into one inside the glove."

". . . So I have to go inside Robin's soul and fight Trigon again?" Raven asked her mother in a somber voice.

"No." Arella replied; which surprised Raven.

"But you said –"" Beast Boy began.

"I said _someone_ must battle the evil inside Robin. However, that someone is not you Raven. Not if you want to prevail, anyway."

"What do you mean?" Terra asked, with a confused look on her face. She hadn't been with the group during their many battles with Trigon the Terrible; therefore she knew very little of the subjects. And even with her limited knowledge she realized Raven was the obvious choice to battle her father.

"Yeah, if Raven doesn't fight 'em, who will? I mean, I'll do it if you want, but I don't think . . ." Beast Boy was hushed by Arella before he could finish.

"Were this merely a battle with Trigon, I would agree that Raven is the most qualified. However, the battle will take place_ inside of Robin's soul_. Because of this, Robin _may_ be able to help the person fighting; but only if his will is strong enough to break the evil's hold on him. I believe it is wisest to send whomever Robin would fight for the strongest."

As Arella said this, her quiet eyes focused on Starfire; as did those of everyone else in the room. It was a clear choice. If the person to save Robin had to be someone Robin would fight for at his fullest; then Starfire was the clear choice.

"Are you willing to face Trigon?" Arella asked.

"Yes." Starfire replied without any hesitation in her voice.

"Starfire –" Raven began; but the redhead shook her head and held up a hand to silence her friend.

"I am aware of the danger; but you must understand that I have no choice." Starfire said swiftly, in a loud voice that made it clear the discussion on this issue was closed. In truth, it was Raven who had no choice; she had to watch her friend do this dangerous deed without stopping her. Starfire was the best choice to save Robin's humanity – but to do so she'd have to face all the horrors of Trigon the Terrible; alone.

"Well, we haven't got all day." Arella said promptly. "Close your eyes Starfire. Try to relax. This won't hurt a bit."

Starfire let in a deep breath, shut her large green eyes and waited. She felt someone place their hand on her chest over her heart; and then white-hot warmth spread through every inch of her body. The feeling was strange, like someone was pouring a thick liquid over her. She imagined that if a piece of toast could feel butter being spread on it; this is how it would feel.

Just as suddenly as the strange feeling began; it vanished. She could no longer feel the odd sensation on her skin, or the hand that had previously been on her chest. When she opened her eyes, she realize why.

She was no longer in her body. She was floating above it. She was still in the kitchen of Wayne Manor; but now she was transparent and floating three feet above the ground; where he body now lay motionless. Everyone in the room had their eyes fixed on her and Starfire felt strange being in such a position. Arella approached her.

"I've removed your soul from your body, as you can tell." Arella said simply as if this kind of thing were normal – although for the Teen Titans it practically was. "So all you need to do now is enter Robin's body. Here, I'll help you along."

Before Starfire had a chance to speak Arella held up her hand and a flash of white light illuminated the room. Starfire's spirit vanished.

". . . Arella." Raven asked quietly.

"Yes?"

"Will she be alright?"

"That is up to her; and to Robin."

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When Starfire's brilliant green eyes opened, she was in a dark, lonely place. It was the Astral Plane; and as always, it was void of color or life. The ground appeared to be gray sand, and leafless black trees sprouted up in the distance like a giant dead forest. The sky was pitch black and stars twinkled up above in the distance like tiny pinpricks of light that struck through a velvet curtain in the skies. Starfire did not like this place.

"Starfire!"

Starfire's head twisted around so quickly it made a whistling sound in the air. A voice had called from the middle of the dead forest – Robin's voice. Starfire lifted off into the air and flew towards the sound of her boyfriend's voice.

"Robin!" She called out. "Where are you?"

"Star! Over here!" Robin replied, his voice coming from her right.

She made a sharp turn and darted off through the dead trees. She flew at an incredible pace; impressively dodging in and out and leafless branches and rotten vines as she scanned every inch of the forest for some sign of her beloved. Her eyes were glowing with a green flame; and he hands were balled up into fists. She was ready for a fight and she knew one was coming.

"Robin?" Starfire asked again as she stopped in her flight and fluttered in mid-air, looking from left to right for a sign of the boy wonder.

"Over here!"

Starfire turned in the direction of the voice and there she found him. Robin. Her Robin. He was tied to one of the trees; a crimson aura of light bound around his body like rope. Starfire flew to him as fast as she could and she threw her arms around him and the tree he was attached to.

"Robin!"

"Starfire, there's no time for that." He said, a hint of remorse in his voice that he had to say such a thing. "You have to hurry before –"

"Too little, too late; as the saying goes."

Starfire twisted around in mid-air, releasing her grip on her beloved. Robin glanced upward in front of them and spotted it too. Trigon had appeared. In the Astral Plane, physical bodies do not exists; only soul-selves. Therefore Trigon was once again in his original form – a gigantic man with leathery red skin, long silver hair, massive horns on his head and four eyes glowing with yellow fury. However, he did have some changes to this form. In addition to the classic look his skin was now even an even darker red; and he seemed to have a bug-like shell encasing him. It was because the soul-selves of Azarock and Sadira had been absorbed into Trigon's soul-self; creating a new creature who was comprised of all three demons.

"Starfire; get out of here!" Robin shouted.

"I will not!" Starfire replied without hesitation as her hands turned green and she charged her bolts. "I cannot leave you Robin!"

"Star, you can't beat him." Robin whispered. "Only Raven could stand a chance against him now."

"You do not know that." Starfire replied; her eyes still focused on the new and improved Trigon.

"Damn it Starfire; just go! I don't want to see you get killed because of me!" Robin pleaded. "It's not worth your life!"

"Without you in it, my life has little meaning to me." Starfire whispered as a silent tear fell from beneath her glowing green eyes.

"Star . . ." Robin whispered, unable to respond to that.

"If our roles were reversed; would you leave me?" Starfire asked, even though she already knew the answer to the question.

Robin's face cracked into a small smile. "No, I wouldn't. Alright Star, if you won't leave, at least promise me you'll kick his ass?"

It was Starfire's lips this time that worked their way into a miniature smile. "I shall."

"Amusing." Trigon laughed in a cold, harsh voice that stung the skin like a gust of winter air. "However, you must realize how futile any attack would be against me. I must thank you two, however. Being killed on Tamaran was an inconvenience tremendously; but now I am more powerful than I have ever been before – and once Robin's soul is fully corrupted, I shall have a new vessel for my evil being. Then my daughter, and all of your world, shall perish in fire and smoke."

"You're blowing smoke alright, Trigon." Robin replied as he struggled against the demonic aura that kept him pinned to the tree. "Even if you manage to corrupt my soul – my friends won't allow you to use my body for your evil deeds. Raven knows better. She'd destroy me, and you, the second that happened."

"And besides, I will not allow you to corrupt Robin!" Starfire shouted; the very idea of Robin's corruption caused a burning anger to swell up inside her.

"You won't allow me?" Trigon repeated. "You will die for your insolence."

A moment later bright beams of light fired from Trigon's eyes. Starfire had to act fast. She fired a beam of green energy from each of her hands; and matching beams from her own eyes. The four yellow beams of Trigon connected in mid-air with the green beams of Starfire and there was a massive, multicolored explosion that toppled several of the trees in-between the demon king and the alien princess.

Before the smoke had even begun to clear, Starfire yelled out a battle cry and hurled several starbolts into the smoldering debris. On the other side, Trigon had a similar idea. His eyes began to glow crimson and the same dark red aura that had Robin trapped on the tree began to cover two of the trees on either side of Starfire – it was the same thing that Raven did all of the time with her powers. The trees were uprooted a second later and smashed together in mid-air, squashing Starfire between them.

"Starfire!" Robin screamed at the top of his lungs.

The trees exploded; engulfed in bright green lights. The dead wood shattered into thousands of pieces, which were hurled in every direction like tiny black toothpicks. Starfire floated in the same spot she had been in before, breathing heavily and covered in small scratches and bruises from the trees; but no worse for the ware.

She yelled loudly and charged her energy into her hands; then she smashed her fists together and fired one large green energy ray. Trigon had not expected that and it caught him off guard. He had been so sure in his superiority over the Tamaranian that he hadn't even thought to block the attack. It struck him powerfully in his chest and sent the demon toppling backwards into a cluster of dead trees. Trigon tripped and fell backwards, landing on a large portion of the forest and crushing it flat.

The wounded Starfire twisted in the air and floated to Robin's side. She grabbed hold on the crimson aura that was binding him to the tree and pulled, grunting the entire time. It didn't budge an inch.

"Star, that was incredible." Robin marveled at how powerful her last attack had been. Trigon had been dropped like a bag of bricks; a feat that had always been nearly impossible in the past. He knew her powers grew with her emotions – and that had been the most powerful attack he'd ever seen her use. It made Robin feel good, actually, to have witnessed that. It was only further proof that she really did love him the way she said she did.

It was funny, looking back on it. Their confessions and declarations of 'love' had seemed so strange at the time. When Shady had forced the truth out of them. Robin had been happy to hear those words; but he didn't know if either of them truly meant it. Not that he doubted their feelings; he merely doubted if either of them knew what love really was. How could they? Neither of them had ever fallen in love before. But after what happened during the Trials, and at the prison, and here today Robin knew that they both honestly had found love that was true and pure; and he was grateful for that.

"Star, you can't break them with your fists. Try using your Starbolts." Robin suggested as she continued to struggle with his bindings.

"But Robin, if I miss—" She started, but he cut her off.

"You won't. I trust you Star." These were the only words he said. Starfire bit her lip, she was a bit nervous; but if Robin wanted her too, and if he trusted he not to mess up, then what choice did she have. She flew back a few feet and started charging her energy into her hand. Before she could fire it; however, Robin cried out.

"Watch out!"

Starfire twisted around in time to see the blast of yellow light as it struck her in her chest. She squeaked, having taken the beam from one of Trigon's eyes at full force, and fell to the ground. Starfire landed roughly beneath the tree, her face contorted in pain. Her entire front was covered in blood; it had stained her shirt and skirt and the bare skin between the two. Robin's eyes widened in horror as he saw her lying there, her breathing shallow and her eyes closed.

"STARFIRE!" He screamed in anguish.

"Did you expect me to stay down?" Trigon asked. He had risen to his feet once again and was towering over the tree Robin was bound too. "The stupidity of your kind amazes me; not to mention the arrogance. I am Trigon the Terrible, Skat the Master of Hell; who are you to challenge me?"

Robin's eyes were burning with tears as he watched the woman who has stolen his heart lie bleeding to death. This was becoming too common for Robin's liking. She would not die. Not here, not today, not like this. Robin would not let her die now. There was so much he had left to say to her, so many he still had to do with her. He loved Star, and he could not allow this to be her fate. He would not allow it to be her fate.

It was because of that love that Arella had insisted Starfire was the one who went to save Robin's soul. Arella had known how dangerous it would be; she was an expert when it came to Trigon the Terrible. She also knew that Starfire did not have a prayer of defeating the incarnate of evil. However, it had never been Arella's plan for Starfire to prevail in the battle. She only needed to fight her best for Robin.

Technically, they were still inside Robin's soul; and Robin had completely control of every aspect of the Astral Plane. He was like a God in this plane of reality and could control and change whatever he wanted too. This power was not a conscious one, though; and was uncontrollable. The only way to unlock the powers he had while in this plane of reality was with a surge of emotions stronger than he'd ever felt before.

Now, because of Starfire's predicament, he felt those emotions. Arella knew how dangerous this was, and how angry Robin would be when he learned the truth – but she had decided it was better to have him angry than have him a mindless servant of Trigon.

"Mwa hahahaha. As always you humans amaze me." Trigon was ranting on. "You become so attached to your mates. You fall in _love_. Truly, you're the most pathetic lifeforms in the universe."

Robin glared at the gigantic foe with pure hatred in his eyes. "It's a hellova lot better than your way!" Robin spat with a voice fueled by the same flaming loathing as his eyes.

"I disagree." Trigon rebuked. "With my way there is no love; no weakness. Your love for one another will lead to my victory. You all would do anything for the person you care about; and that leaves you open to my will. It's not so hard to kill you when your mind is elsewhere. First you and the Tamaranian; then my daughter and the earthling."

Robin was shaking now. He couldn't stand for any more of this. Starfire was hurt, and on the verge of death once again; and now Trigon was threatening Raven and Beast Boy as well. Robin would not allow that to happen. Starfire would recover; Trigon would fall, and his friends would be safe. He wasn't sure how that would happen, but he knew it would.

"Now to send you to join her." Trigon smirked. "And then your body is all mine." Trigon raised one of his enormous hands and it began to glow with a red aura; and the bindings around Robin began to squeeze him tightly against the tree. Robin grunted.

"I. Don't. Think. So!" Robin grunted between breaths. The ground began to shake. Robin didn't know how he was doing it; but he realized that he had to be the one doing it, because Trigon looked confused. Suddenly large vines shot out of the earth and wrapped themselves around Trigon's legs, rooting him to the spot. Additional vines exploded out of the dirt and wrapped around his wrists; they pulled tightly and brought the demon's arms to his side. Then even more vines launched from beneath the soil; these tied around Skat's neck.

Trigon struggled against these new bindings; but he couldn't break them. They were mere vines, but they were strong enough to hold the demon king in place; because Robin wanted them to. This was his soul; and he made the rules of reality here. Robin was beginning to understand that.

Robin concentrated hard. He tried to think about what he needed. A moment ago, he'd needed a way to stop Trigon; and he'd gotten it in the form of the massive vines. Now what did he need?

_I need to be free of this tree._ Robin thought; and like magic he felt the tree behind him vanish into thin air. The bindings of Trigon's aura were still there; but with the tree gone, there was nothing to be bound too and Robin slipped from out of the aura ropes. He dropped towards the ground; but he landed on his feet. Then he quickly dashed to Starfire's side.

_Let her be okay, she has to be okay._ Robin picked up the injured princess in his arms and cradled her limp body against his chest. The bleeding had stopped; but her injuries were severe.

"Insolent fool!" Trigon bellowed in his loudest voice. He was fighting off the vines; zapping them with his eye-beam lasers. Robin turned on the demon, still holding his beloved in his arms.

"You're the only fool here! You're a fool if you think you can do this and get away with it! You can't toy with people's lives and loves and expect to survive!" Robin yelled with seething anger pouring out of his mouth with a flood of rage-induced words.

Something flooded out of Trigon's mouth too, and it was seething hot as well. Unfortunately, it was not words; but a jet of bright orange flames. The demon king was breathing fire right at Robin where he stood. Robin's mind instantly went back to thinking about what he needed most; which right now was some cover.

Several of the dead trees on either side of them jumped out of the soil and threw themselves in front of the jet of flames. The sheer heat of Trigon's deadly breath incinerated the trees; but it gave Robin ample time to run off into the dead forest, still carrying the unconscious Starfire in his arms.

_This is ridiculous; I can't beat him like this_. Robin thought miserably. Even with his strange control over the world inside his soul, Robin was no match for the demon king. It was only a matter of a time before Trigon found them and destroyed them. Robin couldn't let that happened. There had to be some kind of answer.

Between his mind's preoccupation and his heart's worry, Robin was running blind. He was so focused on everything else that he didn't notice the root of one of the dead trees as he scampered around the forest. His foot caught in the root and sent the boy wonder flying forward. He spun around in mid air so that he'd land on his back; and so that he'd be able to keep Starfire from hitting the ground. Robin landed on his back with a crunch and cried out in pain.

He looked down at Starfire's body. She was breathing very shallowly as she lay spread out across his chest. He ran his hand through her long red hair softly, wishing he could protect her somehow. He could feel the ground shaking, and hear the sound of trees falling as Trigon crashed his way through the woods coming right towards them.

As Robin brushed her hair, he looked down at his right hand. It was still the golden glove Arella had given him; and then his eyes widened as he realized something. Technically Trigon's soul was still trapped _inside_ the glove's gem. Trigon only manifested himself inside Robin's soul because Robin was wearing the evil tainted glove. Which gave him an idea.

"I'm growing weary of this game."

Robin looked up above him and saw the towering form of Trigon the Terrible. He grinned slyly.

"Me too." And Robin whipped the glove off his right hand. Trigon's eyes, all four of them, went wide with fury and he shot a second jet of flame from his mouth – but as the glove slipped off of Robin's fingers Trigon and his fire vanished into thin air.

With the glove off his hand, Trigon could no longer infect Robin's soul – which meant he couldn't exists in this Astral Plane. Robin would have been amused by how simple victory had turned out to be if not for Starfire's predicament.

"ARELLA!" Robin screamed into the night. "Arella, wake us up! Please! She needs to be healed!"

Robin knew he could heal her with the glove; but doing that would bring Trigon back and they'd both be killed. He could only hope that Arella heard his words, somehow.

Robin looked up. A blinding white beam of light that engulfed both Robin and Starfire broke the pitch-black skies. When Robin next opened his eyes, he was lying on the floor in the kitchen of Wayne Manor; held to the ground tightly by the masses of earth that Terra had trapped him under earlier. The moment his eyes opened, he heard several gasps.

"Robin? That you?" Cyborg asked, looking down at him.

"Yes! Let me up! Star's in trouble!" He shouted. Terra looked reluctant to release her grip on him; until she heard a scream from behind her. The group turned around to find that Beast Boy had been the one to scream. Starfire's body had just become covered in blood as if from nowhere.

"Dooohuuuude! What the hell!" Beast Boy screamed.

"Raven; heal her!" Robin shouted from where he was bound to the ground. "Please!"

"Now that sounds like the Robin we missed." Barbara grinned as she looked down at Robin's panic-stricken face. No one could fake emotions like that. This was the real deal Robin; back to normal from his ordeal. Terra seemed to think so too, because she waved her hand and the stones holding Robin in place vanished and retreated into the ground underneath the torn-up kitchen floor.

Robin hopped up in an instant. The first thing he did was take the golden glove and throw it on the floor, as if it was some kind of poisonous spider. Then he ran across to where Starfire lay and dropped down beside her. Raven was already kneeling at Starfire's side, placing her hands gently on the redhead's chest and muttering some ancient words Robin couldn't make out.

As always, Raven's healing ability is a complex one. She is an empath and able to absorb the damage and pain of another to heal them – however, the process leaves her drained, weak and injured herself. Raven had to squint her eyes shut as she felt a white-hot burning in her own chest. She couldn't heal Starfire fully, or it would leave Raven every bit as weak as Starfire was now; but she could do her best.

Finally, when the pain became too much Raven cried out and tumbled backwards. Beast Boy had been behind her the whole time, looking over her shoulder and watching the process. When she fell, he caught her placing his arms under her own and allowing her to fall back into his chest. Raven panted heavily and looked over to Robin.

"That's all I can do." She sighed. "I'm sorry. If I absorb anymore than I'll--"

"I understand." Robin whispered softly, his voice cracking.

Starfire was still unconscious, and still in bad shape. She was less injured now; but her wounds were still sever enough to be life-threatening – and now Raven was injured too.

Arella knew what she'd have to do. The purple-haired woman sighed quietly and walked over. She bent down onto her knees and took Starfire's hand with her left hand and Raven's with her right. Raven stared up at her mother tiredly.

"Arella, what are you --?"

"My job." Arella replied. "The job of any mother."

Raven's eyes widened a bit. Surely she wasn't going to –

"Robin, I thank you for being so kind to my daughter." Arella said abruptly, confirming Raven's worst fears. "I am sorry this happened to you and Starfire because of the glove. Perhaps someday when you have a child of your own, you'll understand why I gave you such a burden."

"Arella, no!" Raven screamed, now fully understanding what her mother was doing and trying to shake her hand away from Arella's grip. Arella, however, held on too tightly. The woman closed her eyes and began to chant softly. Raven struggled to make her mother release her hand; but Arella was too strong.

There was a blinding flash of light that caused everyone to close his or her eyes. When the light disappeared the wounds on Starfire were gone, and the pain Raven had felt inside of her disappeared as well.

"Robin!" Starfire cried out, opening her eyes and mouth and sitting up. Robin wrapped his arms around her before she could even turn to face him and he buried his head against her shoulder. For the second time in two days he'd almost lost Starfire; and that was too much for the boy wonder to bear. His eyes leaked tears of joy.

Raven was crying too; but her tears were anything but happy. She was crying because Arella had healed both of the young girls; but just like with Raven's powers, Arella could only heal by absorbing pain, and the combination from Raven and Starfire had been too much.

Arella lay on the floor in front of Raven, her eyes half-open. Raven threw her arms around the mother she'd barley known and always shunned and for the first time in her life she embraced her the way a daughter should.

"Why did you do that?" Raven demanded.

"To right my wrongs. Don't cry Raven; it doesn't suit you." Arella whispered weakly.

"Mother!" Raven protested.

"Shhh. Live your life, Raven. That's what I want you to do. Protect your friends, enjoy your life." Arella smiled weakly. "I'm glad I got to meet your friends, my sweet Raven. And I'm also glad you found someone to love you. Never let that go. No matter what, never lose that love you feel for him. It will keep you strong even at your weakest times."

Raven shook her head in disbelief. She and her mother had never spoken like this before; and it figured it would take a moment like this to make such emotions come out.

"Beast Boy . . . be good to my daughter." Arella sighed.

"I, I will." Beast Boy stammered from behind Raven. "I'll do whatever I can do for her, always."

"I'm glad." Arella smiled one last time at her daughter and reached up with her weak hand. She wiped the tears away from under Raven's eyes, and then she shut her own and fell backwards.

Arella had passed away.

Raven collapsed against her mother's chest and began to openly sob for the first time in years. She'd never shown sadness like this before; and she'd never felt despair this strong. Before today, she never realized how much her estranged mother meant to her.

Never before she lost her.

Beast Boy silently placed a comforting hand down on Raven's shoulder, and eventually she raised up from Arella's body and threw her arms around Beast Boy; pulling him into a tight hug and crying against his shoulder.

No one knew what to say, or what to do, to help her. So they all just stared silently.

And as they did, Magus took that as the perfect opportunity to slip out of his hiding place and steal the golden glove from where Robin had dropped with. With the demonic glove in his possession, Magus vanished back to where Slade was waiting for him, a jovial look on his face.

Arella was dead, and if Magus had his way, Raven would soon join her.

**

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	34. Heated Romance and Burning Towers

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Thirty-Four**

"Heated Romance and Burning Towers"

**A/N**: This one shall be dedicated to two people: **a-1991** and **GizmoBunny**. Both of them are new readers, and they were nice enough to read this story even though its become REALLY long, and they were even nicer to review it. So thank you both. Also, a note on the Sagas of this story. Chapter 01-20 are the "Tamaran Saga", Chapters 21-34 are the "Gotham Saga", which means this is the final chapter of the second saga. The third saga, the "Jump City Saga", will be beginning in chapter 35 and will last . . . a while. This next saga will have two main villains (whose identities I shalln't reveal, haha!) and it will introduce the Cyborg love triangle I talked about. After that we'll move onto the fourth and **_final_** **_saga_** in the story – but I'm not giving out ANY details about that yet. Anyway, this chapter has a lot of stuff for the BB/Rae fans, and a scene I KNOW the Rob/Star fans will enjoy. –wink, wink- So I'll Shuddap now and let you read.

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"Things could not be better."

Magus and Slade were on the move. The dark demon and the malicious mercenary had boarded a train that went from Gotham City to Steel City, and then finally to Jump City. Magus could have used his powers to transport them to their final destination instantly; but he decided not too. If he used his demonic powers then Raven could sense him and find them and he did not want that, not yet anyway. Soon he would be laying down his trap to destroy his half-sister forever, but he didn't need her interfering in the planning stages.

"Arella is dead and we have the Fist of Azarath." Magus grinned, holding the golden glove in his right hand. He hadn't put it down once since he'd stolen it from the floor of Wayne Manor.

"And that glove contains all of Trigon's powers?" Slade asked, very curious in this detail.

"Oh yes. Not just Trigon; but Azarock and Sadira as well. It will be key to our victory, Slade." Magus explained. "Anyone wearing this glove can unleash a nightmare more horrific than the very chasms of hell itself. We could not have hoped for a better weapon."

"So when are you going to give it to me?" Slade asked, raising his eyebrow. Magus's pale face went even paler at this comment, and the demonic son of Trigon the Terrible narrowed his eyes in distaste.

"What do you mean 'give it to you'? Who says I'm going too?" Magus played it cool, but Slade could see right through it.

"You broke me out of prison for a reason." Slade explained. "And since you've stolen that 'perfect weapon', you haven't put it on. In addition, Arella gave it to Robin and not Raven. That's enough for me to put two and two together; a demon can't wield that glove, can they? Only a mortal can use it. That's why you need me."

Magus laughed amused. "Damn, you _are_ good. You're right; demons cannot use this glove's power. That's why I need you."

Slade smiled to himself. The prospect of getting a glove filled with all of Trigon's demonic powers was wonderful, but he was no fool. He remembered what had happened to Robin when he overused the gloves powers. "And what is to stop Trigon from possessing me? I don't think he'll be too happy with you Magus, and once he's in control of my body he's sure to kill you."

Magus chuckled once more. "I've already planned on that. Luckily I have something for you that Arella did not have for Robin." He reached beneath his cape and extracted a medallion. It was round and made of silver. On the front was the Mark of Skat, and two silver snakes had been carved onto the sides, their tails intertwined at the bottom, their bodies running along either side, and their heads open baring their fangs at one another on top.

"Very gothic." Slade sarcastically commented.

"It will give you total control over the glove. It will keep Trigon from possessing you and it will grant you command over all the powers of the glove. You can use it in a way Robin couldn't even dream of." Magus explained.

"Excellent." Slade extended his hand and Magus handed him the medallion. Slade unhooked the chain and then placed the medallion around his neck. Once it was tied in place he looked down at the new fashion statement that hung down to his chest with glee in his eye. "Now the glove."

Magus hesitated at first, but handed the golden glove over. Slade removed his own black glove that covered his right hand and replaced it with the jewel-encrusted Fist of Azarath. The moment it slipped over his fingers, he could feel the powers of demons entering his body. Slade gasped happily at the feeling of unlimited dark energies; and his face broke into a pleasurable smile at the knowledge that he could control it fully.

"Now to go over the plan." Magus indicated, turning away from Slade and gazing out the train window at the countryside. They had their own private compartment on the train, so they could carry out all of their business without the interruption of the other passengers.

"Don't bother, I already have a plan." Slade replied. Magus turned on his human-counterpart with angry eyes.

"I'm the one in charge, don't forget it." Magus snapped in a warning voice.

"Not anymore." Slade replied. "The glove is hungry for more demon souls; and there's only one demon around here."

Magus's eyes widened in a combination of anger and fear; surely, Slade was not suggesting what it sounded like? Magus reached down to his belt and removed the large curved blade he carried with him, but Slade was too fast. He squeezed his fist and the gem on the back of the glove transformed into a black garnet – the demonic energy-absorbing gem.

"You bastard!" Magus yelled, charging forward. "We had a deal!"

Magus swung his blade, but Slade sidestepped and avoided it. The expert mercenary aimed a kick and caught Magus in the back of the head, knocking the demon forward into the wall. Before Magus could recover, Slade balled up his fist and fired a beam of black light onto Magus; who was quickly engulfed by the aura from head to toe.

"You'd think a demon of all people who know not to make a deal with the devil." Slade replied with a sadistic grin on his face. "I'm sorry Magus; but I work alone. You're much more useful to me as fodder for my new toy."

Magus screamed, cursed and struggled; but in the end it did him no good. He collapsed down to his knees and his soul-self and all of his demon powers were sucked from his body and flew into the glove. The black light disappeared and the limp body of Magus fell over onto its side, now soulless and useless. Slade flexed his fingers beneath the new glove.

"Next stop, Steel City. I repeat, next stop, Steel City." The conductor's voice called over the intercom system.

Slade's mouth twitched into a grin. "Excellent. That gives me the perfect idea on who I can test my new toy out on."

Slade left Magus's soulless body on the train in their private compartment and made his way to the double-doors on the side. As the train came to a halt in Steel City's station, Slade looked out the window and in the distance he could just barley make out the outline of his target. He grinned sadistically at the very idea of what would happen next. This should send a message to the Teen Titans, a very loud, very clear message.

**

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**

Raven was alone.

She was sitting on her bed, in the spare bedroom she was staying in at Wayne Manor. After the incident in the kitchen with Arella had ended Raven had come up here, locked the door, and sat on the edge of her bed in complete darkness. She didn't bother to turn on the lights, or light any candles. She wanted everything pitch black so that she couldn't see the tears as they fell from her eyes.

Raven did not cry. It wasn't part of her personality. She also did not consider Arella a real mother; since she'd hardly ever acted like one in Raven's entire eighteen years of life. Those were just plain simple facts about Raven.

And those facts didn't matter anymore.

The truth was, Arella _was_ her mother. She hadn't always been a good one, and Raven had not always treated her like one; but that did not change a thing. What hurt Raven the most was not the fact that her mother had died – it was when she died. Raven had for the first time in her life began to get along with her mother. She began to think of Arella as a mother, rather than just an acquaintance. She had begun to _love_ Arella.

She had loved Arella. For the first time in her life, Raven understood that and was willing to admit it – and now it was too late. Arella was dead; her life given up so that Raven and Starfire could continue their own. Raven sniffed hard and wiped her face on the blanket. She was sobbing like a child; something she had never done before. It was amazing to her that anyone could have this kind of effect on her, and least of all Arella. She had been wrong all these years. She knew that now. She realized that Arella had loved her more than anything or anyone else, and she hated the fact that it took her so long, and circumstances like this, to understand that.

"Damn you mother." Raven hissed in the darkness. "Why? Why did you do this?"

Raven lowered her head again, overwhelming by sadness like she'd never felt before. Part of her was happy she was reacting this way. It meant that she really did love Arella – and it showed just how human she was by reacting in such a manner. Still, even with the thin silver lining, this was one dark cloud in her life she hated with a passion. She couldn't believe how much pain Trigon was able to inflict in her life – even after his death.

"Rae?"

Raven's heart skipped a beat and she lifted her tear-stained face towards the door. That was Beast Boy's voice, of course. The green teen was undoubtedly standing just outside the bedroom door with that compassionate worried look spread across his face. She knew that look well, since he'd worn it around her a lot since they started dating. She was grateful to him. She was grateful she had him now, and she was grateful she'd already been through so much with him. However, this was one time when she sincerely wanted to be left alone by all of her friends, even Beast Boy.

"Not right now." Raven called back, her voice cracking and high pitched.

"Rae, please open the door." Beast Boy's voice, obviously flooding over with concern, washed through the wooden barrier.

"I need to be alone Beast Boy." Raven repeated, her voice taking on a sharp edge.

"No, you _want_ to be alone. You _need_ to open the door and let me in." Beast Boy replied, his voice taking on a masculine tone of toughness that really didn't suit him at all.

"Go away." Raven warned one final time. She wasn't in the mood for this, not right now, and she could feel anger boiling up to the surface. The last thing she wanted to do was fight with her boyfriend tonight; but that appeared unavoidable at this point.

"I'm not leaving you alone Rae. Not tonight. Not after what happened." Beast Boy stubbornly said. "Now open the door."

Beast Boy could hear the sound of glass shattering from inside the room, and he was sure one of the light bulbs had exploded because of Raven's temper. He didn't care, though. Someone had once said that love makes men do crazy things, and in this case, that is true. Disobeying Raven's request to leave her alone was probably the craziest thing Beast Boy could possible do, but he did it. Beast Boy went so far that not only did he not leave; he actually transformed himself into an ant and crawled under the space under the door.

Raven could feel him enter the room, being a telepath. She didn't bother to look up from where she sat on the bed. She could hear him transform back into his human shape and slowly approach the bed, and she felt the mattress sink down as he sat next to her. She felt the warmth of his arm as it wrapped itself around her shoulder. Raven was tired of arguing, and drained from what had happened, so she allowed herself to be pulled into a hug against his chest.

She forced herself to stop crying at this point. It wasn't like her to cry at all, but she'd be damned if she'd do it in front of anyone. Not again like she had in the kitchen. Beast Boy didn't seem to notice this, though. Her merely held her tighter against his chest and brushed her hair softly for a minute. Arella's final words were still ringing in his ears.

She wanted him to be good to her daughter. Beast Boy was only too happy to comply with that request. He never knew the details about Raven or her relationship with her mother – but he did know Arella must have loved her daughter a lot to do what she did. It made him think about his childhood, and his own mother. Beast Boy's parents had been researchers who'd traveled overseas to Africa, and brought their tiny blond baby boy with them. Unfortunately, for Mr. and Mrs. Logan, their young son had come down with a rare jungle disease that was fatal to humans, though harmless to animals.

It was this revelation that caused Mr. and Mrs. Logan, who just happened to be genetic scientists, to experiment on young Garfield's body. They injected him with animal DNA, changing his entire chemical structure. The result was green hair and skin; and a future career as a superhero. Of course, Mr. and Mrs. Logan died not long after that, and Garfield was made an orphan. Now Raven was an orphan too; and he knew how painful that was. He wanted to help her, he wanted to comfort her and he would not let anyone stop him; not even Raven herself.

After all, he did tell the dying Arella that he'd be good to her daughter.

"Rae, I know it hurts." Beast Boy whispered quietly.

"Beast Boy, if you want to stay here you may. If you want to hold me, you may. But understand me very clearly when I say **I don't want to talk about it**, do you understand?" Raven asked him, her voice was as cold as ice and as sharp as a knife.

"Okay Rae." Beast Boy decided it was best not to argue with her. Not tonight, she was far too upset for an argument. Instead, he started to rub her back softly, and as he did so, he leaned his head down so that his cheek was resting against the top of her head. Raven didn't struggle against him, instead she tried to find some comfort in his annoying persistence. She could tell he really cared about her. Why else would he do so much for her?

And Arella had seen that too, Raven realized. Arella's dying statement. Her request that Beast Boy treat her well was made with the last of her breaths. Raven sighed and decided it was time she stop thinking. She couldn't think about her mother, or her boyfriend, or the always-continual spiral of crisis that seemed to haunt her life. So she shut her eyes and held Beast Boy tightly, ignoring the world she knew, and seeking some kind of comfort.

**

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**

"I don't get it, why haven't they responded?"

"Maybe because no one is home, duh."

"Shut up Speedy."

"Boys, don't start. We've got a real problem on our hands here."

Titans Tower, the famous T-Shaped building in Jump City's bay is not a one of a kind building. A very similar T-Shaped building stands in Steel City, and that is the home of the Titans East. The Eastern Titans kept in frequent touch with their original counterparts, although in recent months they hadn't been able to contact them at all. They had been filled in, briefly, about the Tamaran incident when the Titans first returned to Earth but since then the Titans had once again vanished from Jump City and there was no sign of them.

Now the five members of Titans East: Bumblebee, Speedy, Aqualad and the twins, Mas and Menos, were gathered in their living room trying, once again, to contact the Eastern Tower.

"Maybe they went on another planet hopping trip." Speedy suggested, leaning back on the couch with a yawn. "Who cares?"

"I care." Bumblebee snapped back, her voice becoming irritated. "

"I doubt anything too serious happened to them." Aqualad said, trying to become the voice of reason in an otherwise chaotic world. "What's the worst that could happen, anyway?"

"Demons." A cold voice spoke. The five members of Titans East all gasped in shock and turned around to their living room entrance where a unknown man stood. The man was wearing clothes he had stolen since he escaped from prison; a dark trenchcoat with dark sweats on underneath. His gray hair was matted and uncombed and his face was twisted in a sinister smile. He wore an eye-patch where one of his eyes should be, and on his right hand, he had the golden gauntlet stolen from Robin by the late Magus.

Slade Wilson had never met the Titans East before; and they had never met him. Of course, Slade recognized the trademark tower, and he knew it would be the perfect way to send a message to Robin and the Jump City team.

"Who the hell are you?" Speedy asked, jumping off the couch and loading his bow in one quick motion. He aimed it at Slade; but Slade merely scoffed.

"You can consider me a friend of a friend." Slade hissed, his dark lips curved into a dangerous grin. "My name is Slade, the Terminator."

At this, the eyes of everyone in Titans East widened considerably. Of course they'd heard of Slade before. Bumblebee had seen Slade (the old masked version, of course) when she was undercover at the HIVE academy; and the others had heard of him from the East Titans before.

"What are you waiting for y'all?" Bumblebee asked, grabbing her small golden "B's" and preparing for combat.

"This ought to be interesting." Slade laughed as he transformed the gem on the back of the glove into its ruby form. Thanks to the silver serpent pendant around his neck, he had full control over the glove and all of the demon souls inside of it.

That meant Slade Wilson now had control over the combined powers of Trigon, Magus, Sadira and Azarock; which allowed him to reclaim his title as the deadliest of the Teen Titan's many enemies. And of course, Slade was just dying to try his new powers out.

"Titan's Go!" Bumblebee shouted.

With that, the battle began.

**

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**

Robin was sitting alone in his room. His mind was wandering around several different subjects, and as he often did, he had become gravely serious and somber. Robin was as fun loving and enthusiastic as any of the Titans when they were in times of safety; but when danger threatened, he lost any side of a 'fun guy' and it all become about the work. His friends often said he needed to loosen up, but it was next to impossible right now.

The first thing nagging at Robin's mind was the disappearance of the glove. He had thrown it on the kitchen floor after Arella returned his soul to his body, but after her death and Raven's breakdown Robin had returned to the spot and found the glove had vanished. He had already searched the entire Manor and the Batcave but found nothing, and none of his friends seemed to have any idea where it went either.

The disappearance of a gauntlet containing the powers and souls of Trigon and two of his demonic children was just the latest in the Teen Titan's long list of problems, but it wasn't the only thing keeping Robin in one of his 'moods'. There was also the issue with Starfire. He loved her, he'd learned that a long time ago, and he knew exactly how much he loved her. This became a huge problem, because as the past few weeks had taught him, they were constantly in danger. From the assassination attempts on Tamaran to the incident at Arkham Asylum to her battle with Trigon, Robin had almost lost her so many times recently that it was driving him crazy. His insides felt torn apart.

Part of him knew it was silly to worry. Starfire was Starfire; she knew how to take care of herself. She could survive the harsh conditions of outer space, break boulders with her bare hands, and she could throw starbolts; which aside from being very cool was also a great way to protect herself. He also knew she was quite intelligent, even if she didn't always appear that way because of her limit knowledge of Earth and its customs.

Then there was another part of him that didn't care. That part of him wished they were different people, with different lives and different jobs. Jobs that didn't mean squaring off with mad scientist, giant demons and insane mercenaries on a regular basis. Jobs where they didn't have to worry about being killed every single day of their lives. Almost losing Starfire so many times in such a short amount of time was having a real toll on him.

He knew, from Batman's experiences, that heroes do not always win. Jason Todd, the second boy to wear the mantle of "Robin" after Robin left to create the Teen Titans had died at the hands of the Joker in Africa. And Bruce couldn't hold onto a woman if his life depended on it. His mentors bad luck showed him just how unpleasant the superhero lifestyle could be; and with the Titan's enemies becoming increasingly dangerous and violent, Robin worried that one day they might not come out on top. He worried what would happen when there was no Arella around to selflessly sacrifice herself for the good of others. He worried about the day one of them finally met their match.

Robin was so consumed by his worries and doubts that he didn't even notice the soft knocking on the bedroom door. Starfire's knuckles tapped against the smooth oak surface several times. Robin did not answer, and eventually she became worried. After sinking her teeth into her bottom lip a couple of times while trying to decide what to do, Starfire finally called out in a timid voice.

"Robin?"

Robin froze when he heard the voice on the other side of the door. He stood up off of the bed and hurried to open the door. On the other side he found himself face to face with Starfire. The Tamaranian Princess smiled at him instantly, her large green eyes full of affection as she threw her arms around him in a back-breaking hug. She still didn't realize her alien strength, but that was okay. Right now Robin would gladly sacrifice the ability to breathe if it meant a hug from Starfire.

"Hey Star." He managed to sputter out as she squeezed him. He let his own arms travel around her back and he tried to match the strength she was putting into the hug. Tonight it felt better than usual to have her pressed up against him, expressing the feelings they had both kept inside for too long before the incident with Shady.

She broke the hug and took a tentative step backwards. There was clearly something on her mind, not that that surprised him. After everything that had happened, he would be astonished if there wasn't. Starfire rubbed one of her bare arms nervously, turned her eyes away from his, and nibbled on her lip. Robin began to feel an anxious squirming in his stomach.

"Something you wanted to talk about?" Robin asked.

"Yes." Starfire replied, still not observing her man with her eyes. She walked right past him and sat on the edge of the bed, focusing her eyes on her shoes. Robin gulped and went to sit next to her. He placed his arm around her shoulders and then leaned his face down so he was staring at her – her eyes still refused to meet his, though.

"What's on your mind, Star?" The boy wonder inquired.

"I . . . do not know how to express what I am feeling." Starfire reviewed, quite bluntly. She wasn't mixing words tonight.

"Okay. Well maybe I can help you figure it out." Robin suggested, trying to mask his uneasiness behind a smile and hoping she would not see through his paper-thin pleasantries to the worry he had hidden below.

"No, I am afraid you cannot." She said, still refusing to look at him.

"Oh." Was all Robin could come up with in response. It was his turn to look away.

"It is not what you think!" Starfire hastily added, noticing the reaction her last comment had on her lover. "You must understand, I cannot express my feelings in words, and therefore I would not know how to convey them to you for your assistance."

Robin was really confused now. He remembered Starfire once asking him if Earth boys came with manuals; which sadly they did not. Now it was him who needed a handbook to figure her out.

"Star, are you mad at me?"

"I have no reason to be."

". . . Are you breaking up with me?"

"Robin, do not say such things! Of course I am not!"

". . . Did I forget your birthday?"

"The day of my birth is not for another two months."

"Then . . . what did I do Starfire?"

Starfire sighed and shook her head, muttering something much in the same fashion as Raven would when she was annoyed. As amusing as that seemed, Robin was far too nervous to laugh.

"You have done nothing." Starfire sighed. "I am just concerned."

Robin decided it was time they stop dancing around. He placed his hand on her chin and forced her face up until she was looking him in his eyes. "Concerned about what?"

"I am concerned that . . . Robin, Arella is dead." Starfire said, her eyes welling up with tears. "Until today, we have always won and walked away alive, but now I worry that someone else will be killed."

Robin thought it terribly ironic that _this_ would be her problem; the very same problem he'd been debating before her arrival. Robin didn't know what to say. He didn't have any answers for this one, because the same weight of worry was present in his own mind. He wished he could relieve the burden from Starfire, but since he couldn't do it for himself, he couldn't do it for her either.

He racked his brain trying to think of something he could say or do to ease her fears. There was nothing in his past experience or his superhero training about dealing with things like this, so he turned to another place for answers; movies. Robin did not know why, but he was suddenly reminded of nearly every movie he'd ever seen that involved two people who fell in love while in a dangerous situation. There always came a point when they just stopped talking and allowed emotion to take over. So, while it wasn't exactly his style, Robin decided he'd give it a shot.

He kissed her.

Starfire's eyes went wide at first out of surprise, but she let that melt away as she loosened up. And she returned his kiss with a feisty zest of her own. It was Robin's turn to be surprised when she grabbed the back of his head and held him against her lips. It was a bit of a shock, but in a good way. The two continued in this fashion for some time, losing track of time and the world around them as they became wrapped up in one another.

The two somehow found themselves lying back, in each others arms, kissing quite passionately. It was like they were underwater and their only way to obtain air was through each others mouths. Quite a touching and private moment between the young lovers.

Unfortunately moments like this are rarely perfect, and neither of them had remembered to shut the bedroom door after Starfire came in. So right as their tongues began to play in each other's mouths the mood was ruined by hurried footsteps on the hardwood floors. Not that either of the teen heroes noticed the sounds. They didn't realize someone had run into the room until they heard a very embarrassed voice speak.

"Umm . . . Cyborg wants to see you guys downstairs." Terra muttered quietly as she turned about as red as Starfire's hair. She'd been sent to fetch the couple from wherever they were, but she hadn't expected to run into this.

Starfire and Robin broke apart like they were electrocuted and each of them slid down to an opposite side of the bed, panting heavily and blushing furiously. At length, without looking at Starfire or Terra, Robin finally replied: "Tell him we're on our way."

Terra nodded and quickly backed up out of the room. She really didn't feel like she should be there anyway; although she was a little worried about leaving the two of them alone again after what she'd just witnessed.

Robin stood up, straightened his mask (which had become slanted and fallen off his right eye) and then turned to Starfire. Once again, their duty as superheroes had proven to have incredibly bad timing.

"Let's go." He said quietly, and she nodded. They were both red as beets, but they hurried out of the bedroom and quickly dashed down to the Batcave. Once they arrived they found the entire group gathered around, looking at one of the monitors on the wall.

Robin gasped. Starfire screamed.

The monitor showed a live video feed from Steel City. A large T-shaped Tower they recognized as the Headquarters for Titan's East was in the middle of the screen, flames spewing from the windows and dancing under the pale moonlight. The structure of the tower was giving out and collapsing beneath the heat and the weight.

"What happened?" Robin demanded at once, his eyes still fixed on the screen.

"Dunno dude." Beast Boy replied. "We just got down here right before you." He said, indicating himself and Raven.

"None of us know." Cyborg, who had been downstairs the entire time, said in a grim voice. "I was helping Timmy polish the Batmobile when we picked up the feed. We don't know whose broadcasting it, or how."

"We do now." Batman said quietly. He pointed a gloved finger at the screen and all of the others turned to stare at it. There was a shadowy figure standing in the middle of the flaming tower. He walked closer and closer to the camera and his face could be seen flickering in the firelight.

"Slade!" Robin cried out.

"DUDE! But, isn't he in jail?" Beast Boy shrieked just as loud.

"I was." Slade replied over the audio-feed. The entire group inside the Batcave gasped. Slade had connected directly to the servers at Wayne Manor and was broadcasting over the internet. He could see them, and they could see him. "But Raven's brother was good enough to help me with my parole; and give me this."

Slade held up his right hand to show the golden gauntlet he was wearing in place of his usual black glove. Robin's eyes widened in horror.

"No . . ."

"Yes." Slade replied, his face twisted in an expression of sinister glee. "I thought it was be appropriate to send you a message this way, Titans. I must say though, I'm disappointed by the Titans East. They proved hardly a challenge at all."

"You sick son of a bitch!" Cyborg yelled at the top of his lungs. "What did you do to them?"

Slade smiled his evilest of smirks. "I took them all out for dinner. What do you _think_ I did to them?"

The Titans were all shaking with a combination of fury and disgust; but no one quite as much as Cyborg who had been responsible for founding Titans East and building their tower.

"Well, I have to run now my old friends." Slade replied dastardly. "I never realized how much fun burning giant T-shaped towers can be; I think I'll do it again. Ta, Ta, Titans."

With that remark, the video feed went dead.

As the feed cut off, Robin turned to the other Titans in the room. He slammed his fist into his palm and shook his fury from what he'd witnessed. Slade was back and, thanks to Robin, he now had the powers of Trigon and his children at his disposal.

"Titans, it's time we go home."

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**A/N_: HEY! STOP RIGHT THERE READER!_** If you like this story, and you'd like **even more BB/Rae, Rob/Star fanfic goodness** from **good ol' GS**, then after your review please go click on my profile and find **my** **brand new Teen Titans story**, "**_Ten Years Later_**"! It's brand spanking new, and it's going to be good as gumdrops, so what have you got to lose by reading it as well? And don't forget to review it too. XD.


	35. Biting The Hand That Beats You

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Thirty-Five**

"Biting The Hand That Beats You"

**A/N**: While discussing Teen Titans and this fanfic with a friend of mine the other day, we came up with a fantastic new direction for the story which I'm sure your all going to love. They'll be more action, romance, drama and some brand new plot twists. XD

Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to **Tears Of Jade**, who left the 300th review. SQUEEEEEE! 300! Dude, I love all of you who have reviewed. In a completely platonic way, mind you. Also, I'd like to quickly point out that now that I am working on two different Teen Titans stories, I'm going to try to alternate between updates. Meaning I'll update AFY, and then TYL, then AFY again, and so and so on. There might be a few times when I update one story twice in a row, but pretty much I'm going to try to do it this way, so that I don't fall behind on either story.  
By now you should all be familiar with the level of violence in this story, but I do feel this chapter warrants a special warning because . . . well, because there's some graphic stuff later on. Blood and guts galore! XD J/K, it's not that bad. But there is some violent content. You've been warned, ya?

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"What's your plan?" Batman asked as he followed his former apprentice deep into the heart of the Batcave. The entire group of Teen Titans and their allies from Gotham were on their way towards the garage portion of the cavern; Robin leading the way.

"We've got two objectives." Robin replied, loud enough for everyone to hear as he led the group down the stone stairs that had been carved out of the side of the cavern itself. They were quickly approaching where the T-Car, R-Cycle and Batmobile were parked. "First we have to see if the others Titans are alright. Starfire, Cyborg and I will go to Steel City and find out."

"Gotcha!" Cyborg replied. He had a bond with the Titans East that was deeper than the others; and after seeing that haunting image of the burning tower on the television he was outraged. Cyborg had been known to become obsessive before about things. Brother Blood and Billy Numerous had both learned this the hard way when Cyborg went to extreme lengths to defeat them. His close-nit relationship with the Titans East team had him in the mood to kick Slade's butt.

"Meanwhile you want Beast Boy, Terra and I to go back to Jump and head Slade off, am I right?" Raven asked.

"Yes." Robin replied swiftly as they arrived at the scene. "Well meet up with you as soon as we confirm the status of the Titans East."

"You do not wish to go after Slade yourself?" Starfire asked, a bit worried by the answer she could receive. It was not like Robin to leave matters involving Slade up to anyone else, even the very capable Raven.

"Slade _says_ he's going to Jump City, but we can't trust what he says." Robin replied. Starfire understood. There was a chance Slade would still be in Steel City, waiting with a trap for them. If that was the case, Robin wanted to be there.

"Whoa." Batgirl suddenly said, coughing and stepping up towards Robin. "What about us? We want to help."

Batman, however, stepped in at this point. "We have our own mess to clean up Barbara."

"What do you mean?" Tim Drake asked the caped-crusader.

"When those demons broke Slade out of prison, they made quite the scene; and it provided the distraction needed for Mr. Freeze to plan his own prison break." Batman explained. "Commissioner Gordon already called; he needs us here in Gotham. I'm afraid the Titans are on their own once again."

"Wow Dick, there's been three prison breaks since you got back to town." Batgirl laughed. "Do us a favor, don't visit anymore."

"Ha-hah." Robin replied sarcastically. They were now at the vehicles and Robin had already climbed aboard the R-Cycle. Starfire was hovering at his side in mid-air, and Cyborg hurried into the T-Car. "Stay in touch everyone. And let's hurry; we don't know how long we have until Slade strikes again."

"Don't worry, we'll handle Slade. You just make sure the Titans East are okay." Raven reassured him. She was floating in the air near the exit. Beast Boy, who had already assumed the form of (ironically) a raven was perched on her shoulder, waiting for the trip.

There was not need for anymore conversation. All of the superheroes had a job to do, so they did it. Robin on his R-Cycle, Cyborg in the T-Car and Starfire using her Tamaranian powers to fly all sped out of the Batcave, traveling down the main road that led to Steel City. While they did that, Raven, Beast Boy and Terra headed back towards Jump, expecting to find Slade at the place they called home. Batman and his team headed off into the streets of Gotham to clean up the mess made by the demons.

The group parted ways once again, and as they did Robin felt uneasy. It seemed like every time the gang was separated something bad happened. On Tamaran, they had been in one of their most desperate hours when cultists had forced Beast Boy and Starfire away from the rest of the group; and when they split up on the way Gotham, they had even more trouble. He wondered if perhaps this time they could beat the odds, or if history was doomed to repeat itself.

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Meanwhile, in Steel City, there was someone else arriving at the smoldering remains of Titan's Tower. The firefighters were already there, working hard to extinguish the blaze. Several police cruisers were parked nearby and a SWAT van was present as well. The police and firefighters were working together to quickly contain the flames so they could search for the Titans East. The Titans had saved Steel City many times; and now Steel City's heroes were working to save its superheroes.

Unfortunately, at that moment, three military style Black hawk helicopters appeared in the sky above the tower. The police looked up at the combat choppers, wondering for a moment if the national guard had been called in to assist in the rescue attempt. It was possible, though it seemed strange and unlikely.

The wonderment ceased immediately when the gunfire started.

All three black hawk helicopters began opening fire with their mounted machine guns; sending a wave of bullets into the crowd of police and firefighters without mercy or justification. Men in military-style clothing leaned out from the side of the helicopters and, using M-16 assault rifles, added to the deadly automatic fire blaze. The police and firefighters were astonished. Several of them were cut down where they stood; but some were able to take cover. The police drew their pistols and returned fire, but it was a useless gesture. Someone radioed in for backup, though he knew it would be a while before any arrived.

Ever since news of the Titans Tower being burnt down hit the streets, every criminal in town was doing their worst. Without fear that the Titans would stop them, Steel City was quickly becoming a very dangerous place. The SWAT team that was on sight had the best means to combat the helicopters. Each SWAT team member was in full body-armor, and they too had automatic rifles as weapons. They returned fire towards the choppers, but they were vastly outnumbered.

Unfortunately, black hawk helicopters have more than just mounted machine guns. The pilot flipped a button and a missile fired from the underbelly of the chopper. It hit the SWAT van right in the open back doors. The van exploded; as did all of the weapons inside. The explosion, fueled by the van and the ammunition inside, was enormous. The entire SWAT team who had been using the van for cover was killed.

The police and firefighters knew they were outnumbered, outgunned and overpowered. Those who were still alive at this point fled.

The three helicopters landed on the ground outside the tower, and several men in military-style uniforms got out. Each of them held an M-16 assault rifle in their arms and had a .357 desert eagle pistol strapped to their belts. These men were professional killers, hired by a professional mad man.

"Find the Titans." Lex Luthor commanded as he climbed out of the lead helicopter. The bald billionaire had ditched his business suit he'd worn earlier in Gotham and replaced it with a much more practical black shirt and cargo pants; like the kind a covert operations specialist might wear. "If they're alive, keep them that way. I want them in my custody, is that clear?"

"Yes sir!" The mercenary military team he had hired replied as they ran bravely into the flames to search for the Titans East.

Luthor watched his hired team disappear into the smoldering wreckage of the Titan's Tower and he waited on baited breath. The instant he had learned what happened here, he hatched his plan. He was still angry about his earlier defeat at the hands of Bruce Wayne in Gotham, and he needed a way to strike back at him. Now he had that way. Originally, Luthor had been on his way to Gotham with the military strike force to attack his fellow billionaire; but now he had different plans. He knew Bruce Wayne was Batman. That much he was sure of from their earlier encounter. He also knew Batman was connected to the Teen Titans; and the Titans connected to Titans East.

He was playing the chain game. He'd have revenge on those who defeated him earlier by destroying their friends. The criminal genius planned to use the Titans East to lure the Teen Titans to their deaths. Who knows, maybe he would even get lucky and get Terra back. It didn't really make any difference to him at this point. He was Lex Luthor, the greatest criminal mastermind of all time; revenge was enough of a motive for him.

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The trip back to Jump City was a fast one. Beast Boy was ready to fly the entire way in the form of a small green raven, and Terra was prepared to levitate a rock as a vehicle and fly the entire route. Neither of them needed to, however, because Raven projected her soul-self and transported all three of the heroes right to the front lawn of Titan's Tower. A giant black bird made of Raven's energy flew across the sky faster than any plane can travel and the entire trip took only a few minutes.

When they landed, the black energy disappeared and only the three teenage superheroes were left in its place. They looked up at the darkened tower with eyes that expected a trap. They knew Slade was planning something – he always was. Slade had proven time after time that no matter whom or what the Titans faced, he was still their deadliest adversary.

"Be careful." Raven advised the team. She didn't really need to say it, since they would all naturally be on guard in this situation.

"Duh." Beast Boy snickered. Raven shot him a glare and he stopped laughing. This was a no-nonsense time, and he knew that now. Raven could give a glare frightening enough to scare even the most horrible of villains; and Beast Boy sure was terrified of it.

Slowly the three approached the front door of Titans Tower. The green grass, illuminated only by the light of the moon, crunched beneath Beast Boy and Terra's feet. Raven floated just above the surface, a light coating of pre-morning dew that had collected dusted her feet as she brushed over it. The three arrived at the front door, and Raven reached her hand out to open it.

That is when the Tower exploded.

Titan's Tower blew apart into pieces. Shards of glass, hunks of metal, fragments of brick and tons of flames shot into every direction. The entire tower and everything inside exploded like one gigantic T-shaped bomb. Raven, Beast Boy and Terra were all flung backwards and slammed into the grass as the flames illuminated the night sky. Raven propped herself up on her elbows and looked on in horror as their precious home was destroyed.

"Dude! No way!" Beast Boy called from her right. His eyes were wide and teary, and his mouth was hanging open in shock. Terra lay on her side silently with her eyes sparkling with confusion and worry.

Then Slade floated down.

The villain was once again dressed in his trademark black-and-silver outfit, with the orange-and-black mask concealing his aged faced. The only new additions to his wardrobe were the silver serpent amulet around his neck, and the golden gauntlet on his right hand. Slade had his arms crossed in front of him and his single eye was narrowed in distaste.

"You made it right on time, I see." Slade taunted. "I must admit that was much more fun than destroying the East Tower."

"Dude, you blew up my Gamestation!" Beast Boy shouted. "I am sooooo kickin' your ass!"

Slade laughed. "You're welcome to be the first to try; and the first to die."

"Shut up, you old rhymin' bastard." Terra hissed in anger. Her eyes and hands were already aglow with yellow lights and several rocks lifted up from the nearby bay area. The rocks shot straight towards Slade with deadly accuracy, and Raven noticed this and added to barrage against the villain by using her powers to throw large chunks of the destroyed toward at him as well.

Slade's body burst into bright orange flames. The inferno was so hot the metal melted and the rocks were burnt into ash as they hit them. Raven gasped and Terra cursed.

"Arella's glove is truly a fine weapon." Slade informed them. "It stores the demon powers for me. However, this amulet allows me to unleash **all** of the powers of the demons in the glove, instead of the cheap parlor tricks Robin preformed for you."

Raven's eyes widened a bit with fear. Slade saw this, and he laughed.

"Yes, you understand what that means, don't you? I now have control over the powers of **four** demons; and I intend to use those powers to finally end this. Today shall mark the downfall of the Teen Titans, once and for all." Slade explained with an evil glee in his voice. The demented psychopath who had been after them for years finally had the means to achieve victory – and the Titans knew it.

Raven narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth. "Let's get him."

Raven flew up into the air and her eyes and hands began to glow black. Suddenly the ground began to shake. Beast Boy looked confused, and Terra looked frightened.

"Move!" Raven shouted to her friends. Terra's eyes widened and she shot up into the air using a piece of the earth beneath her as a flying device. Beast Boy, who didn't have time to move, transformed into a fish and began to flop around on the ground. He chose a fish because he realized they were about to be underwater.

A gigantic tidal wave had formed in Jump City's bay; it was shimmering with a black aura around it. Raven brought the waters crashing down on the tiny island that housed the wreckage of Titan's Tower. The flames around Slade's body were extinguished, as were the flames that burnt at the remains of the tower. Slade, however, stood his ground.

"Fool." Slade smiled. The gem on the back of the glove turned into the black garnet; the demonic-aura absorbing jewel. Raven noticed this and tried to flee but she was too slow. A beam of black light hit her in her chest and she screamed. A giant black raven made of all-black light was pulled out of her chest and flew into the gauntlet's stone. Raven gasped for air like she was out of breath, and then she fell.

She had lost all of her demon powers. Raven was fully human now. Which meant she could no longer levitate – and that meant she was falling towards the watery grave of Titan's Tower.

Unfortunately, she was flying above the island when she lost her powers. As Raven plummeted, she could see the soaking-wet ground of the island beneath her growing closer by the second. She shut her eyes and realized she would never survive this fall. It would kill her instantly.

. . . At least it would have, if not for Terra.

The blonde flew on her floating rock and caught Raven in her outstretched arms. Terra was too small and skinny to support Raven's weight, so she took a tumble backwards and landed on the flying rock; Raven landing on top of her. Raven opened her eyes as she realized she'd been caught and found she was staring directly at Terra.

"Thanks." Raven managed to choke out. She was still shaken up from what had just happen – literally, her body could not stop trembling.

"Don't thank me yet." Terra gulped. Raven twisted her head and she saw Slade coming at them. Once again, his body was engulfed in bright flames and he was piercing the sky like a giant flaming missile. A giant flaming mission on a collision course with the floating rock Terra controlled. Raven threw up her hands to use her powers to stop him – when she suddenly realized she didn't have any powers anymore.

Slade slammed into the rock beneath Raven and Terra's feet and kept on flying straight through. The rock shattered into pieces and the two girls fell. Each of them screamed as they plummeted down through the air and landed in the rough waters of the bay. Terra swam up to the surface, fighting to keep her head above the water. She was alright; she'd gone into a jackknife dive as they approached the water and she made it just fine. Raven, however, was not so lucky. She hadn't assumed any diving stance and she had hit the water on her stomach.

Now the goth girl was fighting to swim her way back towards the surface, but she was having a hard time. Her arms and legs hurt from the vicious fall, and her mouth had been open. She'd swallowed quite a bit of water before she could close it, and she was having a hard time breathing. Raven's eyelids were getting heavier and heavier as she fought to reach the precious surface and the life-giving oxygen at top. She could see Terra's legs kicking just below the surface. She stretched her fingers out trying to grip the other girl's kicking limbs, but she just couldn't reach.

Then Raven shut her eyes and blacked out.

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Meanwhile, the others Titans had arrived in Steel City. They went directly towards the Titans East Tower and found it destroyed and desolate. There was no sign of anyone or anything. Several dead police officers and firefighters were lying outside the tower, which was still burning brightly in the night. Robin, Starfire and Cyborg all quickly approaching the inferno.

"We have to get in there!" Cyborg insisted, trying to make his way to the door.

"You can't go in there Cyborg!" Robin yelled, taking his friend by the arm and attempting to hold him back. "The entire structure could collapse at any minute!"

"I've GOT to!" Cyborg replied, shaking himself free of Robin's grip easily. Robin was a strong kid, but he couldn't compare to Cyborg's cybernetic strength. Starfire, however, could not only match his strength – she could surpass it. The redheaded alien grabbed Cyborg's other arm and held him back. He couldn't shake loose of her powerful grip, but it didn't stop him from trying.

"Dude, the Titans are in there! We have to save them!" Cyborg insisted.

"Cyborg, check the building with your scanners first." Robin pleaded. "It's too dangerous to go inside unless we KNOW they're alive. If you can pick up their signatures I'll be the first one through those doors; but not until we know."

Cyborg, in all the commotion, hadn't even thought of that. He quickly flipped up a panel on his arm and began scanning for life readings inside the tower. The monitor flashed a few times as it scanned and then it came back with its read out.

There was nothing alive inside the tower.

"No . . ." Cyborg whispered, falling to his knees.

"Your friends are not dead."

Cyborg, Robin and Starfire all spun around in a flash as a voice spoke from behind them. Robin had his bo-staff in hand, Starfire's eyes and hands were blazing with green light and Cyborg had his hand into its arm-cannon form.

Standing behind them was a man dressed in military uniform. He wore camouflages pants, a matching vest and a cowboy-style camouflage hat. He had a pistol on his belt, a knife on his vest and a machinegun in his hands. The man's face was painted with brown-and-green dye and he had a look in his eyes that showed he was unafraid.

"The Titans East are alive." The solider explained. "However, they will only be that way for an hour. If you want to see them again, come to the construction site on the other side of town."

"Who are you?" Cyborg demanded, aiming his arm-cannon at the man.

"My name is of little consequence. My orders are simply to deliver a message." The man replied. "I have delivered it, and now I am to escort you to the construction site, if you will come."

Cyborg was still shaking with fury, but Robin lowered his bo-staff. "Fine. Take us there. Now."

The man nodded his head and walked over to a thicket of bushes. Hidden in those bushes was a motorcycle; which he climbed aboard. Robin quickly boarded his own cycle and Cyborg hopped into the T-Car. The solider was already halfway down the road by the time Cyborg and Robin caught up with him. Starfire flew high in the air, watching them all.

"Star, look on ahead; is it a trap?" Robin called into his communicator.

Above him, Starfire cast her emerald eyes into the distance. She could see what looked like an empty construction site. It was the spot where they had planned to build a new basketball stadium; but the project was scraped. The metallic outline of the stadium was still standing, but it had never been finished. Starfire could see no one there.

"I do not see anyone." She informed Robin. "But that does not mean they are not still there." She added, worried.

"I know. Keep your eyes open guys." Robin replied.

"I shall."

"No problem Rob." Cyborg added from the car. "Let's just hurry this up. I want to find Slade." Cyborg had a soft spot for everything he built. His car, his spaceship, his submarine; he loved them all. The Titans East had been something he built as well. Knowing the team he'd put together was in danger, with their home destroyed, drove Cyborg to his breaking point.

When at last the group arrived at the construction site, they watched the soldier's bike stop right in the middle of the unfinished parking lot. The Titans were all suspicious right from the get-go, but Robin knew they had walked into a trap. He could feel a cold prickling down his spine. This place was too open. It was definitely a setup.

"Star . . ." He began to whisper into the communicator; but at that moment gunshots ran out. Several men in military uniforms stormed from out of the unfinished basketball stadium, each of them armed with assault rifles and firing towards the Titans. Robin hit the ejector seat on his cycle and it shot up into the air. The boy wonder jumped off of his seat and landed on the opposite side of the T-Car, using it as a shield.

Meanwhile the bullets began riddling the side of the T-Car. Cyborg flipped a switch on the dash that made his seat lower all the way back to the floor so it was like he was laying down. The side of the T-Car was bulletproof and it protected him; though the windows all shattered and he was covered in glass. Besides, the paint job was getting dinged up from all the bullets.

"Oh HELL no!" Cyborg yelled to no one in particular. "Somebody is payin' for this!"

Starfire, meanwhile, was still high in the air. She watched as the T-Car was berated with gunfire and she charged up a pair of starbolts. The young alien princess tossed the starbolts into the unfinished stadium and they exploded. Several of the gun-totting soldiers were thrown by the blast and wound up face down on the unfinished driveway. Several others turned their eyes – and guns – to the sky and opened fire on Starfire.

Starfire squeaked and charged her emerald energy into her hands. She threw it out in front of her like a shield, in a way mimicking the shields often made by Raven. The bullets were destroyed when they touched the solar-energy of Starfire's starbolt-shield, but she didn't know how long she could sustain it. She was using a lot of strength to do this, and though her emotions were running high; she had also been through quite an ordeal. She was running on very little sleep, and she'd almost died twice in less than twenty-fours. She did not know how long she could last.

Luckily, the military strike team seemed more interested in Starfire now than the boys. This gave Cyborg a chance to sit up properly again and aim his arm-cannon. He fired a bright blue blast of sonic energy, which slammed into the crowd of soldiers and knocked several of them down. Robin leapt onto the roof of the T-Car and hurled several explosive discs into the crowd. They exploded, and the soldiers were thrown in all directions.

Starfire noticed this and she condensed her energy shield down into the palms of her hands. Instead of a giant flat shield made of solar power; she had a tiny glowing green ball that was supercharged with her energy. She forced the green glowing ball as small as she could make it, then she threw it at the middle of the group of mercenaries. When it exploded, the condensed energy expanded and the blast consumed the entire remainder of the military unit.

When the smoke cleared, every member of the team was on the ground unconscious and wounded; or worse. Robin leapt from the top of the T-Car onto the ground and ran forward. Cyborg exited the damaged vehicle (he was cursing and muttering about his car) and Starfire landed next to her boyfriend.

"Well, it was a trap after all." Robin sighed. "And still no sign of the Titan's East."

"They're over here, with me."

The three superheroes spun around and gasped in horror at what they saw. Lex Luthor was standing across the street with a devious look on his face. Tied up and lying on the ground next to him were Speedy, Aqualad, Bumblebee and the twins. All of them looked to be in bad shape. Speedy was unconscious. His arm was bent behind his back at an awkward angle and he had a cut across his forehead. Aqualad's left leg was clearly dislocated, and his face and chest were both covered in lacerations. Bumblebee was conscious, but gagged so she could not speak. Her wings had also been tied. She had a black eye, busted lip and bloody nose. The twins were tied at the hands and feet, their mouths gagged as well. Their yellow visors were broken, and their white suits were stained with blood.

"What did you do to them?" Cyborg thundered, aiming his arm at Luthor.

"This is how I found them. I only tied them up. Slade gave them the injuries." Luthor explained. "Besides, I wouldn't worry about them if I were you."

The titans heard a strange sound; and then they saw something bad. Something was walking towards them. It was human shaped, with an oval head and long arms and legs. It was also eight feet tall, at least, and made entirely of a cold blue metal. It was an android.

"This is my latest prototype. I call it the TK-35. The TK stands for 'Titan's Killer'. I'm sure you'll get along just great." Luthor laughed. "TK-35; destroy them!"

The titans prepared for battle poses; but before Robin could even shout his trademark catchphrase, the android was in front of him, beating him in the head with its cold metal hands. The android had moved so fast Robin had seen nothing more than a blur as it ran up to him. It was now pummeling the boy-wonder's face with its steel-tipped fists.

Cyborg fired his arm-cannon and hit the android in the chest, sending it flying backwards into the ground. Starfire shot out of the sky like a bolt of lightning and landed on the androids chest with both of her feet as hard as she could. Her feet went right through its chest and into the ground. After she pulled herself up, she flew over to Robin and cradled him in her arms.

"Robin! Are you alright?" She asked.

". . . yeah." Robin replied. His nose was spewing blood like water out of a fountain; and a stream of the crimson liquid spilled from the corner of his mouth down his chin.

"Luthor, you sick bastard, I'm taking you DOWN!" Cyborg shouted.

Luthor laughed. "Give me your best shot boy."

Cyborg aimed his arm-cannon and fired without hesitation. The Teen Titans, like most superheroes, had very strong opinions on using lethal force. It was a rare occasion for any of them to intentionally try to kill one of the bad guys. In this case, however, that's exactly what Cyborg wanted to do. Luthor had been a huge pain for a long time. Besides, he was Lex Luthor. The world would be a better place without him in it.

Cyborg's sonic cannon blast flew at Luthor and went right through his chest and out the other side. Cyborg's human eye widened in surprise and his jaw dropped.

Luthor laughed. "It's called a hologram."

"I know what its called, smart-ass!" Cyborg snapped.

"You Titans are such gullible idiots. And you're also dead." Luthor said in typical supervillian fashion. "Like I said, that was my new TK-35 android I had built especially for you Titans. Now how would you like to meet TK-1 through TK-34?"

There was the sudden sound of various, thunderous footsteps. Cyborg and Starfire looked down the street and saw a horrible sight. Thirty-four androids, identical to the one that had nearly killed Robin, were marching up the street. Starfire's eyes widened in horror and Cyborg's jaw dropped.

"This will be the end for you, Teen Titans. Remember, I am Lex Luthor, the Greatest Criminal Mastermind of all Time! Did you think you ever had a chance to begin with?"

Robin grunted and sat up. His nose was still running blood like a river, and a trick was coming out of his mouth. His left eye was swollen severely as well. Still the boy wonder did he best to climb back to his feet.

"Titans, go!"

**

* * *

**

Raven opened her eyes. She was lying flat on her back. A second later, she sat up and began coughing hard. She pounded on her chest with her fist and coughed up a great deal of water. She shook her head, which was sore, and then leaned back against the ground.

Or what she thought was the ground. It felt sticky and bumpy; not at all like the grassy ground of the island. Raven realized as she looked around she had no clue where she was. She was in somewhere very dark, and very damp. The strange bumpy ground tickled her bare legs. The Goth girl could not see in any direction.

"What the hell?" She wondered aloud. Perhaps she was in another dimension. She stood up and walked a few feet, and then she found the entire floor was shaking. Suddenly a bright light blinded her and she saw the darkness parted to her left. The next thing she knew she heard a loud sound and was hurled forward on the soft, wet grass of the island. She coughed a couple more times, and then she turned to see what that had been.

It turned out she had been inside the mouth of a giant green whale.

" . . . Thanks." She said quietly as the whale transformed back into Beast Boy, who ran up to her.

"You okay Rae?"

"Peachy." Raven muttered sarcastically. "Slade drained my powers, Beast Boy."

"Yeah, I know. I saw him hit you before." Beast Boy sighed quietly. He dropped down to his knees and hung his head.

"Speaking of the devil, where is Slade?" Raven asked. She looked around, but the villain seemed to have vanished from the night sky. Terra was also missing, Raven realized. The last she'd seen the blonde had been in the water with her – but now there was no sign of her. "Terra's gone too. . ."

"I don't know. After you fell, I went looking for you." Beast Boy admitted. "Terra got back on land and said she'd handle Slade."

Raven sighed and lowered her head. Some of her drenched bluish-hair fell into her face and over her eyes. This was not good. Terra had been left to fight Slade on her own, and now that Slade had the combined strength of four demons as well as Raven's partial demon powers, he was at least a hundred times stronger than Terra. What scared her most, however, was the fact that both of them were missing. What could have happened while Raven was underwater?

"We have to find them." Raven said at once. She reached for the yellow communicator she kept on her belt, but stopped abruptly. Terra had not been a Titan for a long time, and she did not have a Titan's Communicator Unit. They would not be able to call her or track her.

"Looking for something?"

Raven and Beast Boy both looked up in the air. Slade had appeared. He was floating above them. His suit had a few new tears, and there were a few added dings to the metal shoulder guard he wore – but he was no worse for the wear. He was holding an unconscious Terra in his right arm. The two Titans below watched for a moment; and then Slade threw Terra off to the side like a sack of bricks. She flew into the distance, out towards the raging seas.

"Go!" Raven commanded. She was powerless and could not save Terra; but Beast Boy could.

"But what about yo-"

"GO NOW!" Raven yelled, and Beast Boy obeyed. He transformed into an eagle and flew in the direction Terra had been thrown in. By now, she had already hit the water, but Beast Boy would search for her from the skies. He would have to locate her and save her, before she drowned – a task that was becoming routine, it seemed.

"You realize of course I used Terra as a means to distract him, so that you and I can be alone?" Slade hissed as he landed a few feet behind Raven. The demonic-powered Slade walked forward, and Raven turned to meet his advance without a trace of fear in her face.

"I know, but I can't let her die." Raven replied bitterly.

"Of course not; you're one of the 'good girls', aren't you Raven?" Slade laughed. "You know what kind of powers I now command. Do you expect to be able to stop me? You're only human now, Raven."

"My humanity is what let me beat Trigon in the first place." Raven shot back, balling her fists.

"Silly girl." Slade narrowed his eye, which had suddenly turned completely red and began to glow. Three matching eyes appeared on his masked face. "Trigon is a part of **me** now. So are his children, and so are your powers. You have no chance."

Raven took a step forward, inching closer to Slade. She knew she could not win this fight. If she tried to stand against him, she would die. Yet she also knew that fleeing from him, or backing down in any way, would be worse than death. She had no hope, but she had to try to fight him. If she did not, it meant almost certain doom for everyone she cared for.

Slade saw her approach him, and he took a step closer to her. There were only a few feet remaining between the pair; less than an arm's length.

"Aside from his powers, I also have inherited Trigon's soul." Slade explained, his voice filled with a thunderous tone. "Trigon and I are now one and the same. In taking his powers and his soul, I have taken his hatred of you as well. And I fully intend to use all my new gifts to make your death as painful as possible."

"You sure do monologue as much as Trigon did." Raven sarcastically replied. "If you want to kill me, get it over with."

"As you wish."

Slade shot forward and rammed his knee into her lower stomach. Raven hadn't expected that. Her eyes widened in pain and she fell backwards on the soaking grass of the island. Slade brought his foot down on top of her again and she screamed out as it slammed into her chest. Raven clutched herself in pain and rolled over onto her side; but Slade kicked her again and pushed her back onto her back.

"I promise you, this will hurt."

Slade lifted his right arm, the one that held the gauntlet, into the air. The jewel on top of the golden glove began to shimmer with ruby red light and Raven braced herself for the killing blow to come. She closed her eyes and suddenly realized that this was the end. She was going to die. She had faced death many times, and always escaped. This time, she could not.

Though you may not think it because of her usual attitude, Raven enjoyed her life quite a bit. She was dark, she was gothic and she was quiet – but she also had a fierce love for her friends. She realized then that it is true what they say; your life does flash before your eyes right before death comes. She saw everything again. Her training with Arella, her meeting with Robin, founding the Teen Titans, the first battle with Slade, her first kiss with Beast Boy, the entire Tamaran trip; everything replayed in slow motion. It seemed to last a lifetime.

Then she heard an inhuman scream. A hallow, piercing noise that tore through the night sky like thunder and chilled her to the bone marrow. Raven realized that the scream was not her own – it was Slade's. She also realized that the killing blow she had expected had not come.

Raven opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was Slade sitting on his knees, clutching his right arm. Clutching what was left of it, anyway. His arm, from the elbow down to his fingertips, was gone. There was only a bloody stump where his elbow had once been. The flesh was torn and blood was oozing like a river.

The second thing she saw was a big, green tyrannosaurs rex. The dinosaur spit something out of its mouth and Raven realized it was the Fist of Azarath – with Slade's arm still inside. Slade's screaming stopped and the demented merecenary stood up once again and stared at Raven – the three additional eyes were gone, and his original had turned back to its normal color – with a look of pure hate.

"Die!" Slade charged at her in a mad fury, his anger finally overwhelming him and blinding his training and knowledge. The T-Rex swung its body around quickly and whacked Slade in the chest with its gigantic green tale. Slade was thrown from the island into the water, which began to turn a dark blackish-red from his still bleeding arm stump.

Slade had been knocked unconscious; it appeared, by Beast Boy's tail. He slowly sank beneath the surface of the waters. Of course, Jump City's bay is connected directly to the salty ocean, and while rare, sharks had been spotted there before.

A instant later Beast Boy transformed back into himself and ran to Raven's side. He dropped down on his knees and threw his arms around her.

"Rae! Are you okay?" He asked desperately.

"I've had worse." Raven said, referring to her injuries.

Beast Boy grinned at her. He couldn't help it; a second later he grabbed her by the sides of her face and pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss. Unfortunately, (for Beast Boy), he was pushed away a second later by a disgusted looking Raven who began spitting.

"Sorry Rae . . . I guess it's still too early in the relationship for tongue, huh?" Beast Boy apologized sheepishly.

"Beast Boy, this has nothing to do with your tongue being in my mouth." Raven replied.

"Then why –"

"**You just bit Slade's arm off.**" Raven growled, irritated. "New rule; you don't kiss me after you bite people's limbs off. Not until you get some mouth wash, anyway."

Beast Boy realized that Slade's blood was still covering his mouth, lips and tongue and he too began to spit as well. Raven stood up, and Beast Boy did the same. The two stood together in the moonlight for a minute. Neither of them spoke at first, but Beast Boy finally broke the silence.

"Rae, can I have just a little kiss? I promise I'll use extra mouth wash later."

"You know, I've already ruined Robin and Starfire's little make-out session back in Gotham." Terra suddenly said, making them both jump and realize that she had been standing behind them the entire time. "And now here I am as a third wheel for you two. I swear its bad karma, or something."

Raven and Beast Boy both turned to the blonde. She tossed something at Beast Boy, who caught it in his arms. He realized that what he'd caught _was_ an arm; Slade's arm, and he dropped it.

"DUDE!" Beast Boy shouted, completely disgusted. "DON'T GIVE ME THAT!"

"That glove drained Raven's powers right? So we need it to get them back I figured." Terra explained. "But I'm not going to be the one to carry it."

"Yeah, but –"" Beast Boy began.

"You bit it off, you get to carry it." Raven sided with Terra.

"Harsh Rae. Very harsh." Beast Boy sighed.

"C'mon, let's just go find the others." Terra said. "Need a lift?" She asked Raven as she caused the ground beneath her to break off and lift into the air, making a new flying rock. Raven nodded and climbed aboard standing next to Terra. Beast Boy sighed, transformed into an hawk, and took the severed hand of Slade in his talons.

The three flew off towards Steel City to check on the status of the rest of the team.

Unfortunately, the rest of the team wasn't doing quite so well. In fact, they were worse off than Slade was, right now . . .

**

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**


	36. The Calm Before The Storm

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Thirty-Six**

"The Calm Before The Storm"

**A/N: **The results are in. It wasn't even close in the end. It seems everyone agrees that Cy needs some lovin', and that he should get a whole lotta lovin'. The Love Triangle wins! Which should be fun. I now know exactly what shall be happening with Cy, and I must thank you all for your votes and for many of the good ideas that came out of them. This chapter shall be dedicated to **Madmartagan**, who gave me some wonderful ideas when reviewing the last chapter, and for that I thank you.

**

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**

The ground was littered both with the broken bodies of Luthor's androids and spatters of blood from the titans as well. Cyborg, Starfire and Robin were fighting their hardest against the onslaught of mechanical enemies; but to no real avail. Luthor's TK-Series androids were unbelievably powerful. A few starbolts, a sonic cannon blast or two, or one of Robin's exploding discs were enough to render the androids down, but not out. Repeatedly they knocked the enemy down and moved on to a new foe, only to find the previously defeated android getting back up.

So far, of the thirty-four enemy androids, they had managed to disable or destroy twenty-seven. However, during the battle each of the Titans had received their fair share of injures.

The already battle-scarred Robin had nearly been decapitated when TK-12 ripped a stop sign out of the ground and swung it like a sword at his head. Robin managed to duck down at the last minute and throw a freezing disc on the android, which covered him in a thick coating of ice. The boy wonder followed that attack up by whacking the ice-covered android with his bo-staff, which knocked the frozen foe backwards. When the android hit the ground, he shattered into pieces along with the ice. However, before Robin could take any kind of pause TK-07 had grabbed him from behind, tossed him up into the air, and then kicked him on his way back down as if he was a human soccer ball.

Starfire had equally bad luck. She had grabbed TK-19 by the head, charged a starbolt, and blasted it at such close range that the android's head had exploded into pieces. She'd managed to duplicate the trick with TK-31 and TK-04, but when she tried to get lucky a fourth time, TK-34 had slipped past her grasp and gotten its hand on her arms. The android stretched each of Starfire's arms in a different direction, causing the redhead to scream in pain as he pulled her body like she was a child's doll. Starfire growled out in anger, placed her feet against the androids chest and kicked off hard. The android wound up flying backwards, having his arms ripped clear off. Starfire floated in mid-air, rubbing her sore shoulders and wincing at the enormous pain surging through her body. Unfortunately, for her, TK-23 chose that moment to tackle her to the ground. Smothered under the heavy metal body, Starfire's only means of escape was to blast the android from close ranger with her eye lasers. Sadly, the android exploded from the attack and Starfire was caught up in the blast.

Finally, as the battle continued to rage, the Titans were able to reduce their enemies down to only ten. However, the three Titans were all incredibly tired and severely injured. Robin was down on one knee, clutching his shoulder that had a huge gash down it. He was bleeding from his nose, shoulder and a few cuts on his chest and legs. Beside him was Starfire, floating just above the surface of the ground with her eyes and hands still glowing. Her stomach had a deep cut across it that was bleeding badly, and her left eye was swelling up. Cyborg stood aside from the two, his body covered in scratches, dings and his metal breaking off in some places. A trickle of blood was coming from out of his mouth, and he was losing power fast.

Around the three titans, the androids began to close in on them in a circle. The ten remaining TK-series robots were advancing fast with their hands out in front of them. Across the street, the Hologram of Luthor was laughing his head off. The Titans East were still unconscious and tired up around the hologram. The robots began to move in for the kill.

"You got any ideas?" Cyborg asked as he attempted to fire his sonic cannon. Unfortunately, his power supply was running so low from the combat that he didn't have enough energy to fire his cannon. Cyborg cursed loudly and reverted his hand back into a fist.

"We must be strong. We will overcome them." Starfire insisted as she hurled a pair of Starbolts at two of the advancing androids. The starbolts smacked them in their chests and exploded on contact, showering the ground with bits of metal and green sparks. The androids kept coming, however.

"I hope so." Robin silently whispered to himself. In truth, they were in a bad spot. Robin's utility belt hadn't been refilled in a long time, and he was running out of gadgets. Cyborg's energy supply was so low he couldn't attack with his sonic cannon without risking a system shutdown; and Starfire was injured. She'd soon be too tired to create starbolts. The group had to finish this, and fast, or they'd risk falling victim to death.

The Titans tensed up. The androids began to close in on them. It looked like this might be the end. There may only be ten androids left, but that still outnumbered the titans quite a bit and the injuries had reduced them all down to their last leg.

Then the ground began to shake.

"What the --?" Robin cried out, surprised.

The ground was shaking savagely and the androids were falling over. As one of them fell down onto the ground, a large green tyrannosaurs rex fell from the sky and landed on top of it, crushing it flat. The T-Rex twisted its snout around and bit another android clear in half. The ground beneath two of the others suddenly opened up and they fell into a hole; then he ground re-closed and smashed them to pieces.

Robin, Starfire and Cyborg looked up to see Terra's flying rock speed by. Raven was standing behind the blonde on the flying rock as they sped over the battlefield. Terra's hands flashed with yellow light and several chunks of rock from the street broke off and smashed into a couple more of the remaining androids. Beast Boy smashed another one with his tail, and destroyed the final one with his mouth.

Terra's rock landed on the ground a few feet from the injured Titans and she and Raven hopped off. Beast Boy reverted to his human form and grinned his goofiest grin at his friends. Luthor's hologram did not look amused. Across the street from the titans, the bald-headed hologram suddenly vanished. Far away, the real Luthor cursed his luck.

"Perfect timing BB." Cyborg sighed in relief. Then his face was filled with concern as he cast his glance across the street. "C'mon y'all, we have to check on them!" He pointed towards the Titans East.

**

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**

_A Short While Later . . ._

The Teen Titans, both the original and the eastern incarnation, were gathered together now. After the end of the battle, they had regrouped and traveled downtown. The Titans East, aside from their now-destroyed tower, had built a secondary-base in Steel City just in case something ever happened to the tower. The base was located in a cave in the side of a mountain. It wasn't very fancy, and nowhere near as equipped as Titans Tower had been, but it was better than having nothing.

Everyone was injured to some extent. The Titans East each had their own injuries and bruises, the twins being in the worst condition of anyone. Cyborg was plugged into the wall attempting to recharge his power cells while the conversation took place. The rest of the team was seated around a circular table. They'd taken the time to address all of the medical needs and many of the titans were bandaged in various places.

Everyone there had shared his or her stories. Bumblebee retold how Slade had defeated the Titans East, Raven explained what happened back in Jump City, and Robin recalled the confrontation with Luthor's hologram and the TK-series androids. There did not seem to be any good news.

"So let me see if I get all of this straight," Cyborg said at last as the stories were finished. "Slade's dead, right? So we don't have to worry about him. And all of Luthor's androids were destroyed, so he at least has to build new ones before he can come back again. What about Trigon and the demons? I'm still confused on that situation."

"Trigon and his children are locked inside the glove." Raven replied, tossing the golden gauntlet onto the surface of the smooth black table. They had removed Slade's hand from the glove and disposed of it earlier. "And my powers are stuck in there with them."

Robin heaved a sigh. This seemed to be their most urgent issue now. Without her powers, Raven was at a disadvantage. Some of the most dangerous supervillians in the world were still gunning for the titans actively, and if she did not have her powers, there was very little they could do to protect her. Raven realized this as well. She was sitting in one of the chairs with her shoulders tensed and her head down. Beast Boy, who sat next to her, bit his lip and put an arm around Raven comfortingly. She merely sighed once again.

"Raven, isn't there a way to get your powers back from the glove?" Robin asked, concerned for his friend.

"I don't know. The Azar made the glove, I don't know much about it." Raven replied.

"So, why don't we just call this Azar person and ask them?" Beast Boy inquired.

"Because I don't know how to contact The Azar." Raven responded.

"Then how'd y'all get it in the first place?" Speedy asked, kicking his legs up on the table.

"My mother." Raven replied, her voice becoming very quiet. "And she's dead now."

The talking ceased for a moment. All of the Titans seemed out of ideas. They had hit a stalemate. They needed to free Raven's powers from the glove, but none of them had any idea how to do that. Finally, Speed got up and made a bold declaration.

"Well, let's destroy the glove then! That should free Raven's powers."

"That will also free Trigon." Aqualad pointed out. Speedy sweatdropped and returned to his chair silently.

"If I had the Book of Azar, I could figure this out myself." Raven sighed, placing her head in her hands. "But it was destroyed along with our Tower."

"Can't you just get another one?" Terra asked from her seat on the other side of Beast Boy.

"There were only seven copies of the book ever made. Four of them were destroyed on Azarath, one I had, and the other two were lost. Where am I going to even begin to look for one of the remaining copies?" Raven sighed.

"eBay?" Terra suggested, shrugging her shoulders. Raven glared at her silently, but Robin stood up.

"That's it!" He announced.

"You're kidding, right dude?" Beast Boy asked, skeptically raising an eyebrow. "You really think we can find it on eBay?"

"No." Robin snapped. "But we _can_ track the books using the Internet. Cyborg, can you link up to the computer system here and search for those missing copies of the book?"

Cyborg nodded. "No sweat. Just hook me up."

A few minutes later, the Titans had managed to hook Cyborg up to their computer system, and he was now sitting in front of the wall-monitor built into the side of the cave, searching the world wide web for any sign of the Book of Azar. Terra, Bumblebee, Speedy and Starfire stood around Cyborg, each anxiously looking up at the screen. Robin, Raven, Beast Boy, Aqualad and the twins were still seated around the table.

"We need to discuss Luthor, too." Robin informed them. "He'll be back. He doesn't give up."

"No kidding." Aqualad replied. "I've heard enough bad things about that guy. What do you think we should do?"

Robin rubbed his chin for a moment. "I don't know. Going after him directly would be too dangerous, especially considering the fact that we've all been injured."

"Plus we're going to have to go after the book, as soon as Cyborg can find it." Beast Boy added.

"It's impossible to plan anything until we have more details." Raven decided, leaning back in her chair and trying to relax. She was trying, but she was failing miserably. Beast Boy bit his lip, wishing he knew some way to cheer her up, but he knew it would be impossible tonight.

"Okay, I got good news, I got bad news, and I've got really bad news." Cyborg said, turning around in his chair so he could face the Titans around him and those seated at the planning table. "Which do you want to hear first?"

"Anything about the book." Raven replied before anyone else had a chance to talk. She turned her tired face to Cyborg with her dark eyes full of anticipation.

"Well, I was able to track down the last two copies. One of them was housed in a museum in France; but it was stolen a year ago. The other was sold on an online auction site. Turns out they both wound up in the same place, though." Cyborg explained.

"Where?" Raven asked.

"The HIVE library," Cyborg sighed, "Apparently Brother Blood thought they made good reading material for his students."

Raven groaned and let her head fall forward onto the table. Beast Boy rubbed her shoulders comfortingly, but it didn't help improve her mood.

"And the book was destroyed when we trashed the HIVE headquarters, wasn't it?" Raven asked, not bothering to look up.

"Probably," Cyborg sighed, "And even if it wasn't, Brother Blood's history, no way he can tell us where the books are now. I'm sorry Raven."

"Hold up there, Sparky." Bumblebee said, her eyes brightening. "I remember the undercover days at HIVE real well, and I'll tell you something; if there was a spellbook in that library, Jinx would have checked it out. That girl was nuts about that kind of stuff."

"Jinx is still in Jump City's jail." Robin reminded them. "The Police still have the HIVE kids in jail after the fight with Red X and Doug. We could always go down there and interrogate them."

"Forget it Robin." Cyborg shook his head. "Even if Jinx did have the book, do you really think she'd tell us where it is?"

"What makes you think she'd have a choice?" Raven asked with an icy tone in her voice. "I say we go back to Jump and get that book from her; now."

"Hold on." Robin shook his head. "That might not be our best approach Raven. Jinx is already in prison. If she doesn't want to tell us of her own will, we'll have no way of knowing at all."

The boy wonder began to pace, as he often did when he was formulating a plan in his head. He did not know what to do, nor did he know how to do it. They needed to get that book from Jinx; it was their only means to restore Raven's powers to her. This meant they needed some kind of bargaining chip, but Robin couldn't for the life of him figure anything out.

Bumblebee, on the other hand, could. The leader of the Eastern Titans stood up and shared her rather bold idea with the group. "Why not offer her, her freedom?" She suggested.

"What?" Aqualad seemed shocked. "You mean let her out of jail?"

"Work something out with the parole board." Bumblebee insisted. "Look, I went to classes with Jinx for a while when I was undercover; trust me, when compared to Luthor or Slade she's about as dangerous as a kitty cat. I'd rather have her back on the streets than have Raven powerless and defenseless."

"Good point." Beast Boy agreed. Raven raised an eyebrow, but he shook his head at his girlfriend. "Dude, face it Rae, nearly all the crap that's happened to us lately has been because of Trigon and those other demons. You're like a big magnet for danger."

"Gee, thanks." Raven's sarcasm was unaffected by her lost powers.

"Aww, you're a big sexy magnet for danger." Beast Boy tried to recover himself from that last line, but Raven merely rolled her eyes at him and returned to the more pressing matters at hand.

"Bumblebee's right," Robin decided at last. "We know Luthor isn't the type to give up easily, and he's still out there. We need that spellbook, even if it means letting Jinx out of prison."

"Hey Robin," Bumblebee said, walking closer to the boy wonder. "While we're on the subject, I don't think we should just sit around and wait for Luthor to strike again. Maybe we should get the jump on him."

"I'm all for that." Terra said quickly. She hadn't forgotten the hell Dr. Cobalt had put her through under Luthor's orders.

"We should also start the reconstruction of the Tower." Speedy pointed out. "We can't use this cave forever."

"Okay," Bumblebee nodded, leaning one arm on the table. "Then Sparky and I will go get Jinx to talk, Speedy, Aqualad and the twins can start rebuilding the tower, and the rest of you can head after Luthor."

The reactions were many and loud.

"Why do we have to rebuild the tower?" Aqualad and Speedy both cried out, angry that they were getting the boring job.

"Why do **I** have to go after Jinx?" Cyborg asked, equally upset.

"You two and the twins have to rebuild the tower 'cause **I** said so." Bumblebee replied with a 'don't-second-guess-me' attitude. "And I said so because out of all of us, you four were injured the most by Slade, so you don't need to be in the battlefield right now. As for you Sparky, hell, you and I know Jinx better than anyone does. We did the undercover thing at Blood's school. We have the best chance of getting her cooperation. That leaves Robin and everyone else to go after Luthor."

When explained that way, the arguments to the plan died out. Speed and Aqualad still looked upset that they had been sidelines and set on repair duty, but when faced with the alternative of taking on Lex Luthor's legendary criminal empire in their current condition, they quickly got over their complaints. Cyborg merely shrugged and mumbled something that no one was able to catch.

"The plan will work for me." Starfire agreed.

"Yeah, I'm down." Beast Boy added.

One by one, each of the Titans Teams agreed to the idea, and Robin and Bumblebee nodded in approval. So it was set; the Titans now had a battle plan, they would just have to hope it would work.

"Hey, I know this is an urgent matter and everything," Terra said suddenly, taking the groups attention. "But do you think it can wait till morning? None of us have really slept in a long time, and I doubt even Luthor could build a new android army in such a short amount of time. The rest could do us all some good, too."

There were no objections.

**

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**

Meanwhile, back in Jump City, a pair of teenagers had found their way to the beach in the middle of the night. They were laughing and giggling as they stumbled their way down to the sandy shoreline. They were both drunk, and even the smallest of things was funny to the pair.

"Heeeeeeey," The boy said, his speech slurred. "Lookit that."

He pointed towards something lying on the beach. His girlfriend blinked and looked down at the object in the distance.

"What do you think it is?" She asked, then she hiccupped.

"Dunno. Let's find out." He decided, and the pair hurried down to the strange dark shape. Upon arriving the brunette-haired young man bent down over the object; which turned out to be a man's body.

"Whoa." His redheaded girlfriend took a step back. "What do you think happened to him?"

"Dude, it looks like sharks." The boyfriend said, basing that on the fact he had watched _Jaws_ last night. "Look, his hand's all chewed off and crap."

The boyfriend pointed to the dead man's right arm, which was missing from the elbow down. His girlfriend shuddered and took a step back.

"Eww. Nasty. Should we call the cops or something?" She asked.

"Yeah. But first let's look for his wallet." The boyfriend, being a drunk creep, decided. He reached down and began to pad the man's pants looking for a wallet. In a flash, Slade spun around and grabbed the boy by the wrist with his remaining arm. Using a self-defense move he'd learned in his military days, Slade twisted the boy's arm around completely until he heard the snapping of his bones. The boy screamed aloud and his girlfriend shrieked.

"I could use your car keys." Slade hissed as he squeezed the boy's arm tighter.

"Take 'em man! Take 'em!" The boy yelled, tears now welling up in his eyes from the pain. Slade released the boy's arm and kicked him in the gut so he fell on the sand. Then the criminal genius removed the boy's car keys from his pocket.

"Which one is your car?" Slade asked the young woman. She screamed and ran off towards the water in a panic. Slade shook his head and turned his eye back on the man. Then he asked him the same question.

"The red one, parked up on the curb." The boy replied only after Slade kicked him again in the chest. Slade kicked the boy one final time, mainly to vent his frustration, and then he hobbled his way up the beach and to the car.

Slade climbed into the driver's seat and closed the door behind him; then he leaned back into the chair panting. Blood was dripping down out of his wound onto the seat and steering wheel. Slade knew he needed medical attention, and soon, or he would be dead. He also knew exactly where he could get this medical attention. Slade put the key in the ignition and turned it, and then he shut the door. It was tricky to drive with one hand, especially after losing so much blood, but Slade Wilson was a survivor. He had survived the war, his supervillian days, the trip to Tamaran and the Titans; he would survive this too.

And he would be back. Already the mercenary was planning his next move; and he knew the Titans would not enjoy it one bit.

**

* * *

**

The Titans did their best to find a comfortable place to sleep. The cave was not built to be a home, only a temporary base. They had computers and tables; but no beds or couches. Cyborg was leaning against the wall, still plugged into the computer storing energy to his power cells. He was also very uncomfortable. Terra, who had spent years living on the run with no home, had fallen asleep quickly and was snoring peacefully in a corner. Starfire was sleeping in one of the black chairs, and Robin was leaning against the side of the chair she sat in. Aqualad, Speedy and the Twins had already left, deciding to skip sleep since they had no battles to fight; instead, they were heading to get supplies to rebuild Titans Tower. Bumblebee had shrunk down to microscopic size and was sleeping quite comfortably on a makeshift bed she had made on the table.

Raven was lying in the further dark corner. She was not asleep. She was lying on her back with her hands folded under her head, thinking.

"You don't look too comfy." Beast Boy's voice floated over to her ears. Raven did not bother to turn her head.

"Believe me; I've slept in worse places." Raven was referring to her first days on Earth, after the Justice League turned her away when she was alone and living on the streets.

"Want a pillow?" Beast Boy asked, and then he transformed into a fluffy cat and ran over to her, climbing up on her stomach. She sighed once again, but this time it was more of an amused, happy sigh; than the usual depressed one.

"Thanks, but I'd rather have some company." Raven replied. Beast Boy hopped off her and transformed back into his human form; he was now lying next to her with his eyes wide.

"Dude? Seriously? That's not like you."

"I know." Raven sighed. She moved closer to him, leaning her body against his shoulder and using him as a pillow. "But it's been a long, _long_ day and sometimes I enjoy having you around."

Beast Boy snickered. Raven raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You're just starting to sound like you did back on Tamaran. Remember? When we first started getting together. You know I'm kind of surprised." Beast Boy suddenly said.

"Surprised about what?" Raven asked.

"That we're still together." Beast Boy replied.

Raven looked up at the ceiling. "I know what you mean." She turned her head back to Beast Boy and saw the shocked look on his face, which caused a small smile to form on her lips.

"Dude, that was harsh Rae." Beast Boy pouted.

"You're the one who said it first." Raven pointed out.

"Yeah, but like, you're supposed to be all nurturing and stuff and tell me I'm being silly, and of course we're still together. It's like, bad when you agree with me on that." Beast Boy explained. Raven shook her head and rolled over onto her side so her back was to him.

"Oh stop complaining. It _is_ surprising that we're still together, but it's a good surprise."

"Yeah . . . but you know, it was still harsh what you said, Rae. I'd feel a lot better if I got a 'I love you snoockums' right now."

". . . snoockums? Do you honestly even believe the word 'snoockums' is in my vocabulary?" Raven asked him, sarcastically. She was secretly enjoying this.

"Are you saying you don't love me?" Beast Boy asked, his tone half-serious, half-kidding.

"No, I'm just saying I don't love you enough to use the word 'snoockums'." An always-sarcastic Raven replied.

Beast Boy, however, noticed something besides that sarcasm. "So . . . you do love me, though, right?"

"Yes." Raven replied offhanded. Beast Boy's eyes widened a bit.

"Really?"

"Really what?"

"You love me?"

Raven sighed. She suddenly realized she had opened Pandora's Box, and there would be no way to close it. Therefore, she rolled back over so they were face to face again, and then she said: "Yes I do. Can I get some sleep now?"

Beast Boy's eyes were as bright as a Christmas tree on Christmas morning. "You really do?"

"Beast Boy." Raven said in a voice full of warning, but for once, he ignored her.

"No, no, no, this is big Rae." Beast Boy said, blowing things way out of proportion as always. "I mean, what kind of love are we talking about here? The 'I-said-I-love-you-cause-we've-been-dating-a-while-love', or is this more like the way Robin and Starfire are with the whole 'I-said-I-love-you-cause-I-really-really-do' kind of love, or –"

"It's more the 'If-you-ever-want-to-hear-me-say-it-again-you'll-shut-up-and-let-me-get-some-sleep' kind of love." Raven cut him off. Beast Boy got the not-so-subtle hint.

"Goodnight Rae."

"Goodnight Beast Boy." With that, she rolled back over again and shut her eyes. She felt one of his arms wrap around her in a comforting hug, and then she heard him whisper something.

". . . I love you too."

Raven felt herself smile, and she was very glad she had her back turned to him while she did, because she knew he'd be bugging her for a goodnight kiss if he saw the grin on her lips.

**

* * *

**

_**The Next Day, In Metropolis**_

Lex Luthor slammed his fist down on his desk. The super genius supervillian was sitting in his high-backed leather chair. It was currently facing the glass window of his office on the thirty-sixth floor of Luthor Corp's Metropolis HQ. The evil billionaire was furious. His entire TK-line of androids had been defeated, and the Terra Project was a failure. Luthor was known to be obsessive. In recent days he'd lost millions of dollars worth of research money and many of his projects had been defeated by the Titans. The Terra Project was scraped; his TK-series androids were outdated, and his bank account was much lower than it had been last week.

Luthor needed his revenge. He would not be able to rest until he made the Titans suffer the way they had made him suffer. He needed an edge. He needed a way to defeat them. However, he did not know what he could do. More robots, perhaps? No. Luthor decided against making any more TK androids. They had failed him too easily.

"Might I suggest something?"

Luthor spun his chair around, looking for the voice that had just spoken. Someone was in his private office with him; but he could see no one. Luthor stood up and drew a revolver from out of his desk drawer, but there was no one in the room but him.

"Who's there?" Luthor demanded.

"A friend." The voice replied. It seemed like the voice was coming from every direction at the same time. "My name is of no importance to you, Lex Luthor, but what I can offer you is."

Luthor realized he must have been dealing with some sort of supernatural being, so he returned the gun to the desk. He'd been in the supervillian business long enough to know the ropes. Supernatural disembodied voices that suddenly appear with deals for you are usually a recipe for disaster. However, like the good executive he was, Luthor would hear it out.

"What kind of offer?" Luthor requested.

"One you will like, I assure you." The disembodied voice replied with a devious tone. "Right now the Teen Titans are planning a double operation. Some of them are going to Jump City, to recover a spellbook in order to aid the one called Raven. The rest of the team has decided to come after you."

Luthor raised an eyebrow. "They are coming after me?"

"Indeed. They will come, and they will break into one of your secret factories – the ones you deny owning. After soundly trashing your guards the will uncover evidence that proves your corruption to the world. Then they will come here, to Luthor Corp. Headquarters, and they will attempt to arrest you. You will battle them, and you will die in the process."

Luthor remained calm and collected. "How do you know all of this?" He asked in a cool voice.

"Your future is my past." The voice replied. "You see, I am a messenger from the future, Mr. Luthor. In the future, my masters will rise to power and the Earth will be there. The world's greatest superheroes will all battle against them and they will all die. Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman – all of them will meet their end in the future. All, except for the Titans. They and they alone will continue to fight; and in my present they have discovered a way to defeat my masters. My masters are losing the war in the future, and losing control of their planet. Therefore they have decided to destroy the Titans in this past – and they've decided to use you to do it, Luthor. In exchange for your cooperation, you not only get to survive; but when my masters come you will be given a position of power in the New World."

Luthor's face did not chance at all, as the voice explained all of this. Time Traveling voices from the future that claimed to be here on a vendetta against the Titans. It was strange and suspicious, but Luthor did not mind.

"So you want me to set a trap for the Titans and destroy them now?" Luthor asked.

"Indeed." The voice replied.

"I've got no problem with that; but first I would like some proof that what you're saying is true."

The voice laughed. "I told you the Titans are going after a spellbook. I can tell you exactly where that spellbook is, so that you can be ready with your troops. You must also prepare a trap for the Titans coming after you. I promise you Luthor, you won't be sorry if you do."

Luthor weighed his options, and made his choice.

"Tell me more."

**

* * *

**

The new day had come, and it was almost noon. The Titans had been allowed to sleep in because they had all gone without sleep for so long they needed it. Now that they were fully rested and re-equipped, it was time to get started on their new orders. The entire group was gathered at the entrance of the secret cave.

"Well, I guess this is it." Cyborg said. He flipped open a panel on his arm and checked his power cells. They were once again filled and he was operational. "Y'all be careful messing with Luthor." He said to Robin, who stood across from him.

"We will. You two watch yourself with the HIVE." Robin replied.

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on Sparky." Bumblebee smirked.

"Yeah, yeah." Cyborg muttered. "Don't worry, if Jinx has that book, we'll get it from her. You'll have your powers back in no time, Rae."

"Alright, then what are we waiting for?" A very hyper-active Terra asked. She was practically giddy this morning, which was very strange. Maybe it was the idea of getting back at Luthor, but Raven doubted it. She had already confronted Slade, who she hated a lot more than Luthor, and had hardly said a word to him. Whatever it was that had her so wound up, Raven did not know, but right now she had issues that are more important on her mind.

"Alright then. Everyone stay in touch, let's play this one safely. Don't forget we're dealing with Luthor. We can't underestimate him at all." Robin said, adding that leader tone to his voice. "Titans, Go!"

As the Titans set out of the cave, splitting up and heading for different locations, they did not notice the bright blue pillar of light that was shining down from the sky in the distance. Nor did they notice the young woman who had stepped out of the pillar of light just before it disappeared. But she noticed them. She watched them, and she knew they were walking right into a trap.

"This should be interesting." The woman said to herself before she started down the side of the hill to follow the Titans.

**

* * *

**


	37. The Mysterious Miss Mary

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Thirty-Seven**

"The Mysterious Miss Mary"

**A/N: _Sorry for the delay!_** I've been terribly busy lately.

Well, with "The End" having aired, this story is official **Alternate Universe** now. Oh well, I shall continue it nonetheless. This chapter shall be dedicated to a very loyal reader who has been following this fic forever, **Pickles12**. So, enjoy it Pickles.

Also, a quick note about **Mary**, the newest character. She is **based on** a real character, however as I know nothing more about this character than her name and superhero alias, this **Mary is almost completely an OC**. I've made up her appearance, her powers and her personality. Just wanted to point that out.

Also, on a quick note unrelated to my story: There's a hot new message board online in need of some members, and I'd really appreciate it if some of y'all would go register there. Technically, it's a Sonic the Hedgehog message board, but I know the guy who runs it, and trust me, even if you're not a fan of that uber cool video game series, you'll have fun there. And if you ARE a fan of Sonic, you'll be in heaven; trust me. Plus there's an RPG section that'll rock your socks if you like to RP. You can come join MY RP. You'll love it. Trust me.

So, if you're a Sonic fan, or if you like RPs, then come on down to

http/s12. s12.invisionfree. com /sonicthehedgehog /index. php?actidx

(remove the spaces)

GO! Register an account! And don't forget to tell 'em GS sent ya! I'm dedicating the next chapter to everyone who goes and joins the site; so go, go, go! Now on with your regularly scheduled fanfiction.

**

* * *

**

_**Seventeen Years In The Future**_

A large steel battlecruiser flies over the remains of Jump City. The ship itself is "T" shaped in a way, with large wings in the back that place home to the gigantic engines that power the ship. On the sides are plasma laser cannons and several missile launchers. The entire ship is roughly the size of two football stadiums lined up next to one another. Inside are hundreds of the servants of the Dark Ones.

Humans have never seen the Dark Ones, but everyone alive knows of them. They are the seven masters of the alien race that destroyed humanity in the future. The Dark Ones sent their battlecruisers and android armies to invade the earth. Military nations fell like flies and the world turned to their superheroes to save them. The Justice League, in cooperation with other superhero teams from around the world, led an assault on the Dark Ones.

They failed.

In the very first battle against the Dark One's battlecruiser fleet, Superman, the legendary man of steel, was killed. Apparently, the Dark Ones had been studying earth for years and had watched not only its military, but also its superheroes. When Superman approached the ship, a weapon that fed off the energy of Kryptonite was fired at him and it killed him instantly. Wonder Woman and the Green Lantern were also slain in the same battle. A few weeks later, Batman, The Flash, Aquaman and several other members of the Justice League were found killed.

With their heroes dying, the United States and China decided to work together for a tactical nuclear assault against the alien invaders. However, the Dark Ones had counted on this. They used their advanced technologies to disrupt the nuclear launch codes, and rather than hit their rightful targets, the nuclear missiles went off course and destroyed the world's major cities. New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Beijing, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Chicago were wiped out in one day.

Then the aliens began their real assault. For every one man in the Earth's military, there were a hundred androids in the alien arsenal. The world was beaten. The world was defeated.

Superheroes had all but died. Those who did survive were scattered throughout the world, and any unity there had once been was gone. That was the case for all of them.

All of them, except, for the Teen Titans.

Though no longer teens, the Titans had stayed united. They continued to fight against the aliens, and they continued to help humanity in every way they could. Many of the original, founding members of the titans were dead now; but many new Titans had been recruited. Their tower was gone, but now, finally, they had a possible key to victory.

In the Titan's base, located in the wreckage of Jump City, three members of the team were gathered in a dark room. The floors and walls were all black, but strange symbols had been made on the floor using white sand. A tall woman with pale skin and lavender hair was finishing the rune designs. Not far away from where she worked the other two stood. The first was a man with green skin and matching hair; and the second was a much younger woman who wore a skin-tight black jumpsuit and had her long, dark hair pulled back behind her head.

"There." Raven said as she finished the pattern on the floor. She consulted a large, leather bound book that she had in her hand. "This should do it."

"You sure Rae?" The grown Beast Boy asked, looking at the portal.

"Have I ever not been?" Raven replied hastily. "The real question is are _you_ sure, Mary? Are you sure you're up for this?"

The woman in black – Mary – nodded her head. "I am. This is our best chance, right?"

"Yes." Raven replied. "You have to go back. You remember what we learned, don't you? If you can stop Luthor, then the Dark Ones will never be able to rise to power."

Mary nodded her head. "Relax, this'll be a cake walk. I've read the history books. Luthor's technology is nothing next to the Dark Ones. If I can handle them, I can handle him."

"Mar, there's a lot more than just Luthor involved here." Beast Boy said. "I mean, you're going to be around the original teen titans back in our prime; you do realize what that means?"

A wily grin spread over Mary's face. "It means I'll get to see you as a kid."

"Well, yeah, come to think of it you will." Beast Boy snickered. "Dude, you'll be older than me. No fair."

"Can we get back to saving humanity?" Raven asked. The sense of fun in Beast Boy and Mary's voices was not shared in her own. "Mary I want you to listen to me."

Raven approached Mary and put her hands on the younger girl's shoulders. She turned Mary around so that her dark eyes met Mary's large emerald ones. "You cannot, under any circumstances, encounter our past selves. If it is absolutely necessary for you to interact with them, you cannot reveal to them who you really are."

"Why not?" Mary asked, she suddenly sounded outraged. "I want to talk to –"

"I know who you want to talk to." Raven cut her off. "And it's out of the question. You could jeopardize the future by revealing too much about it. If you reveal anything – especially those details – it could modify your entire existence."

"Fine." Mary sighed. Then she realized something. "So what do I do if I do run into them, and they ask me who I am?"

"Tell 'em you're a superhero from, err, England." Beast Boy said, hoping to help. "And do an Mad Mod accent, like this laddie."

"First of all, that's Scottish, not British." Raven snapped. "Second of all, don't pretend to be either one. Don't use your powers in front of them Mary, it'll be a dead giveaway."

"What?" Mary nearly shouted. "No powers? Then how do I fight?"

"Gadgets." Raven replied, poking a finger at the silver belt Mary wore. "And I guess you can fly, that won't be a giveaway, but none of your others powers. And you can't tell them your superhero name, either."

Mary pouted and crossed her arms. "Why can't I –"

"You know perfectly well why you can't." Raven cut her off, again, becoming irritated. "Mary, I know it must be tempting. I know you want to talk to them; I know you have always missed them. That doesn't change your responsibility, though. You cannot, under any circumstances, reveal your true identity to them. If they see you, if you must interact with them, you are Mary. That's it. No last name. No superhero alias."

Mary sighed and let her head drop. Her round green eyes blinked as she tried not to let her sadness show through to the woman who had raised her.

"Yes ma'am." Mary sighed sadly.

"Dude, look at it this way Mar." Beast Boy wrapped an arm around her shoulder, trying to cheer her up. "If you do stop Luthor, then the past'll change, and the future will change, and they won't be dead and you can see them here."

"I guess . . ." Mary replied, her head still hanging.

Raven let out a soft sigh. Once again she felt like she was being too hard on Mary, but what choice did she have? That girl was their one chance to rewrite the past and save the future. "Mary. I want you to go over things one more time; just so we're clear."

"Relax Raven, I've got it." Mary replied, anger filling her normally soft voice.

"Mary." Raven said simply, in an authority-filled tone.

"_Fine_." Mary responded, she then began to recite something as if she'd memorized it. "When Lex Luthor tried to destroy the Teen Titans, he created a machine called the Cortex X-1000. During the final showdown with Luthor, the Cortex X-1000 was fired, and while the Titans stopped the device from destroying them, it's laser was fired deep into outer space where it was picked up by the Dark Ones spaceship. The Spaceship turned from its present course and instead came to Earth. It studied the planet for years, and then it attacked and destroyed humanity. If I want to change history, I have to stop the Cortex X-1000 from being activated, so that the Dark Ones never come to Earth. See, I told you I remembered it all."

"Good." Raven flashed a tired smile. Her face was prematurely aged and tired lines of worry rippled over her once flawless visage. She reached out and hugged Mary tightly. "I'm sorry. I just worry. I promised your mother I'd look after you."

"I know. I'm sorry too." Mary replied.

Suddenly a loud banging filled the room. Raven, Beast Boy and Mary all turned to see the steel door that separated them from the outside world shaking. A second banging sound was heard. The doorframe was rattling; someone was trying to break in.

"Uh girls, you might want to save the heartwarming moments for AFTER we save the world." Beast Boy called.

"They found us." Raven breathed. She quickly turned and opened her spellbook. "Mary, you have to go; now!"

"But what about you? You can't fight them alone!" Mary insisted. Raven laughed and pushed Mary into the middle of the circle she'd drawn on the ground.

"Mary, we're both as good as dead. Our only chance now is for you to go back and stop Luthor. Do you understand?" Raven said seriously.

". . . Yes." Mary sighed at length.

The door rattled again. The banging echoes became loud. The android servants of the Dark Ones were trying to get in now, and it seemed like they would. Beast Boy transformed into a great green grizzly bear and ran forward to hold the door in place. Raven turned back to Mary.

"Remember everything I told you." Raven instructed. "Good luck. Azarath, Metreon, Zinthos!"

Raven's hands were shrouded in a black aura, and then a light blue beam of light burst through the floor underneath of Mary and the strange symbols that Raven had drawn. Mary vanished through the beam of light, and reappeared in the past just as the Titans were leaving their hideout – Cyborg and Bumblebee on their way to Jump City to find Jinx, Robin and the rest heading to Metropolis to find Luthor.

"This should be interesting." Mary said to herself before sliding down the hill to follow the Titans.

In the future, Raven and Beast Boy watched Mary disappear through the portal. The banging on the door grew louder, and more frequent.

"Well Rae, we're screwed." Beast Boy stated bluntly.

"No . . . we're saved." She replied. "Mary's going to stop him. This entire future is going to change. Everything will be different."

Beast Boy nodded. "Yeah, yeah, it will, won't it? The others will all be alive, Earth won't be ruled by freaky dark dudes . . . Sparrow'll be here."

Raven winced when Beast Boy mentioned the name 'Sparrow'. She shut her eyes and let a tear leak down from one of them. Beast Boy wrapped a comforting arm around her.

"Hey, don't get all emotional on me now Rae." He whispered. "Everything's going to work out okay. You'll see."

"I . . . know. It's just difficult. I realize how Arella must have felt, now." Raven replied, her voice even softer than his. It was always painful when Raven thought about the daughter she had lost.

Beast Boy opened his mouth to speak, but he never got a chance. The door was finally broken open, and several metal soldiers poured into the room. Each of them was tall, as tall as building. Their skin made of a thick adamantium alloy. Their arms had large metal spikes coming out of the wrist that came all the way up past the fists, and their heads had similar spikes coming out at the top. Leading the android soldiers was an all too familiar face.

Though the futuristic version looked very different, there was no mistaking him. He wore a suit made of the bluish-silver adamantium, and his right arm was also made completely of the same substance. His mask, however, remained the same black-and-orange combination it had always been with one slight alteration; where his missing eye had once been, there was now a red robotic replacement.

"It's been a long time." Slade Wilson, commander of the Dark One's armies, said as he stepped forward. "I haven't seen you since Nightwing was killed."

"Do the words 'screw you' ring any bells?" Beast Boy growled.

"Hahaha, my old friends, don't you realize how futile your rebellion is? Ever since that day all those years ago when I helped the Dark Ones take control of this planet, your fate has been sealed."

"You sold out your entire species, Slade." Raven snapped.

"Oh look whose talking. If I recall, you're the one who betrayed your birthright and murdered your own father." Slade responded with a sinister smirk behind his mask. "Although I must say, I'm kind of glad Trigon and I's plans on Tamaran failed. Had they succeeded, Trigon would have betrayed me and I'd just be dead now. Instead, I'm an immortal half-man, half-machine and in command of the entire fleet of the Dark One's armies. And I owe it all to you, Raven."

"You're right, you do owe me." Raven replied, her hands turning black. "And you can pay me back with blood – Azarath, Metreon, Zinth—"

Slade jumped forward too fast for her. A blade of adamantium shot out of his right hand's knuckles, and he drove it into Raven's stomach. The blade went in one side and out the other, exploding a cloud of blood into the air in the form of a rich red mist. Raven gasped and her eyes returned to normal. A trickle of blood rolled out of the corner of her mouth, and she died instantly.

Beast Boy didn't even have time to transform. He screamed, jumped at Slade, but was shot down dead before he ever reached him. Several of Slade's androids had raised their hands and fired lasers from the tips of their adamantium spikes. The lasers sliced Beast Boy up like Swiss cheese and his body fell on the ground next to Raven.

Slade withdrew his blade from Raven's chest and looked down at the two dead titans of the future. Then he looked over at the rune symbols on the floor.

"So . . . the other one escaped, did she?" Slade pondered to himself. He walked over to the symbol and then began to laugh in a hallow voice. "Oh this is ironic. Raven must have sent her back in time. Well, two can play at that game."

Slade, who had studied all about demon spells and runes during the days when he had been a messenger for Trigon the Terrible, bent down, and began to change the symbols and the shapes on the floor. Then he stood back up and walked into the center of the runes. He would have to find Lex Luthor. Slade decided it would be better if Luthor didn't see him, so he turned on his cloaking device and became completely invisible. Then he raised his hands.

"Azarath, Metreon, Zinthos!" Slade chanted. He let a drop of Raven's blood fall from the end of his blade, and when it touched the demon symbols Slade vanished in a puff of blue light. He would reappear in Lex Luthor's office, with a plan to stop the Teen Titans once and for all.

Beast Boy, his body broken and blood seeping from beneath his suit used the last of his strength to crawl towards Raven's crumpled form. The green-skinned man laid his head down on Raven's chest and sighed.

"Guess a goodnight kiss is out of the question?" He mumbled, and then he died.

**

* * *

**

_**The Present**_

"She is never goin' to help us, you know that right?" Cyborg attempted to say as the T-Car pulled up outside of Jump City's prison. It had been a long ride, and the T-Car was still badly damaged from the skirmish with Luthor's boys. Bumblebee had ignored him the entire time, choosing to listen to the radio instead of his constant complaints about this idea.

"She'll help _you_ Sparky." Bee replied coolly.

"What are you talking about?" Cyborg questioned, already a little afraid of where this conversation was heading.

"Oh _please_, I saw you two at the HIVE dance. That little sorceress has a thing for you, Sparky."

Cyborg looked annoyed. "Number one, no she doesn't. Number two, why would it matter even if she did?"

Bee chuckled. "We can use that to our advantage. Just let me do all the talking Sparky."

Cyborg decided not to reply to this. Not because he did not want to reply, but because he couldn't think of anything he could say that would get him out of this truly horrible situation he'd somehow worked himself into. Shrugging his metallic shoulders, he followed Bee out of the car and up the steps that led into the police station. As soon as they were in the room, dozens of heads turned and many police officers looked either angry or relieved to see the two of them here. Finally, the sergeant in charge came over.

"Boy; am I glad to see you." The Sergeant said. "What the hell's goin' on in this town? What happened out at that tower of yours?"

"Long story." Cyborg replied simply. "Listen, you still have the HIVE kids in custody?"

"Yessir." The Sergeant responded. "We sure do."

"We need to talk to them, right away." Bee butted her way into the conversation. "Mind if we go back to the holding cells?"

"No, go right ahead. But what for? This have something to do with all the crazy stuff that's been goin' on?"

"We'll explain later." Bee blew him off, grabbed Cyborg by his arm, and started towards the holding cell area in the back of the station where the HIVE children were incarcerated. Normally, they would have been arraigned and sent to the actual prison by now, but with all of the freaky stuff, happening in the city lately no one from the DA's office had gotten around to it yet.

"Remember Sparky, we need Jinx's help, so try to be cool." Bumblebee warned him.

Bumblebee and Cyborg arrived at the back of the station and found a small holding cell in the back. Inside, Jinx, Gizmo and Mammoth were sharing the cell, all of them looking downright depressed by their predicament. When Cyborg and Bee approached, Gizmo groaned.

"What do you snot munchers want?" He inquired, rudely.

"Shut your short little mouth before I smack you upside your bald head." Bumblebee replied antagonistically.

"What happened to 'try to be cool'?" Cyborg muttered. Bee just ignored him and approached the bars that separated them from Jinx and the HIVE.

"You're wasting your time." Mammoth bellowed out in his deep voice. "Whatever you two want, we don't care. Right?"

"Right." Jinx and Gizmo echoed back.

"Yo, here's the deal. Jinx, we need one of your spellbooks. You get it for us, we'll let you out of jail." Cyborg said.

"Oh please." Gizmo yawned and closed his eyes, waving a hand dismissingly. "You must have snot for brains if you think Jinx'll ever agree to tha—"

"Deal." Jinx spoke up. Gizmo spit and Mammoth looked stunned.

"What are you saying Jinx?" Mammoth demanded.

The pink-haired vixen shrugged at her fellow inmates. "Hey, what can I say, _I hate prison_."

"But Jinx! You know the others will be by to break us out!" Gizmo pleaded. "C'mon, don't sell us short!"

"Too late." Jinx teased, waving a hand over Gizmo's short head. Gizmo turned red and began to shake with anger, but Jinx, who was undoubtedly the toughest of the HIVE with her magic, merely ignored him.

Cyborg gave a huge sigh of relief, but Bee seemed disappointed and suspicious. She leaned against the bars and looked at Jinx with one eyebrow raised. "What's your game? That was _too_ easy."

Jinx grinned slyly. "No game. No trick. No gimmick. You get me out, I'll help you guys."

"Mmmhmm. Like I'd believe that." Bee responded. "Seriously girl, what's up your sleeve?"

"Okay, you want the truth? Then here's the deal I'll make. I want immunity from prosecution." Jinx explained. "For all of my crimes."

"Fine." Cyborg replied, anxious to get this deal over with. Bumblebee was still far from being satisfied.

"Uh huh, hold up Sparky." Bee replied, putting a hand in front of Cyborg, who had been reaching to unlock the jail cell. "We already said we'd get you out of jail. There's something fishy going on; now spill it Jinx!"

Jinx smiled with a dangerous smile, and Cyborg sighed when he realized Bee had been right. Jinx did have something up her sleeve, and he knew he wasn't going to like it one bit. "Like I said Bee, I want immunity for all my crimes. Including the ones I haven't committed yet." The pale-skinned girl smirked widely.

"Forget it!" Bee snapped.

"Then you can forget having my help." Jinx responded, crossing her arms and putting her chin up.

"Dammit, we don't have time for this." Bee cursed, crossing her own arms and turning to Cyborg. "You got any ideas Sparky?"

Cyborg was reminded of when he and Beast Boy would argue over something; and how Raven would always settle it by forcing them to compromise. He scratched his chin, and then turned to Jinx. "You can forget that deal Jinx, we can't pardon you for crimes you haven't done yet. But we will wipe your record clean. I mean we'll destroy all the records on you. Not just pardon you, but totally wipe the slate. Then, any future crimes you commit would technically be only a first offense; so you won't be in as much trouble."

Jinx thought about this. Cyborg knew the wheels inside her head were clicking and turning. She could be out of jail, and completely absolved of all her past bad deeds. That would make it a lot easier to commit crimes in the future, and besides – she knew this was going to be fun.

"Yeah, okay, I'll do it." Jinx agreed at last. Gizmo and Mammoth were too flabbergasted to speak a word, so they just stood there, dumb stricken. Cyborg opened the jail door and Jinx stepped out with a grin on her face. Then Cyborg closed it behind her, leaving the other two HIVE children to stare.

"Okay, so what can I do for you two?" Jinx asked, crossing her arms and leaning against a wall.

"You have the Book of Azar, right?" Bee asked, raising an eyebrow. "I know you checked it out from the HIVE library."

Jinx bit down on her bottom lip. "I read it, yeah. So?"

"So we need you to use a spell from that book to destroy a magical glove that's containing all of Raven's powers in it." Cyborg explained.

Jinx raised an eyebrow. Obviously she was curious about the longer story attached, but she decided not to ask. "I don't have the book anymore."

"I told you this would be a waste of time." Cyborg sighed. "Alright Jinx, back to jail then –"

"Hold it!" Jinx cried out quickly. "I don't have it, but I know where you can find a copy."

Cyborg and Bumblebee, who had been ready to lock Jinx back up, stopped and looked at one another. Each of them raised an eyebrow, then they looked back towards Jinx.

"Talk." Bee commanded.

"There's an old cave out near the beach." Jinx explained. "Brother Blood kept back up copies of every book in the school library there, but he sealed the doors with a password only us HIVE graduates know. I'll get you in, but you have to get me out."

Cyborg looked at Bee. "What do you think?"

"Raven needs that book Sparky. I don't think we have much of a choice."

"Alright Jinx." Cyborg finally agreed, turning back to the pale girl. "We've got a deal."

Jinx smirked. Cyborg sweatdropped. That smirk on her face was dangerous. He had a bad feeling that this would not turn out well.

**

* * *

**

Robin had decided that the best way into Luthor's headquarters was by stealth. Normally, they could have had Raven teleport them inside his factory, but since she was powerless, they would have to use a different approach. The team decided that they would dig an underground tunnel directly beneath Luthor's factory, and use it to gain entrance without being detected. Terra took charge and split the earth open. Terra walked ahead of the group, shifting rock and dirt in front of them to form a path as the group walked. Terra led the way, creating their path as they traveled. Robin stood behind her, using his Titans communicator as a map so they could figure out when they'd have to dig up into Luthor's factory. Starfire was at Robin's side, not speaking. She had a look on her face like she was deep in thought, but she did not bring up whatever it was she was talking about.

Beast Boy and Raven brought up the rear. Raven was walking slowly, looking down at her right hand – which was currently covered by the gauntlet. Arella's gauntlet she had given to Robin. The glove still contained all of Raven's powers, as well as Trigon's. Since Raven was powerless, she'd decided to wear the glove and use it as her weapon. Beast Boy couldn't help but notice the way she continually flexed her hand beneath the glove.

"You okay Rae?"

"Don't ask stupid questions."

"Rae, I know you're upset, but it'll work out okay. You'll see." The ever-optimistic green one insisted.

"It's not that." Raven shook her head. "I'm not worried about Luthor. I just feel . . . different."

Beast Boy raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"I don't have my powers, for one." Raven replied.

"But you have the glove." Beast Boy pointed out.

"That isn't the same." Raven responded. The goth shook her head and looked down at her feet. "It's not something I can explain Beast Boy. It's something you just have to experience for yourself."

"Well, just try to cheer up Rae." Beast Boy said. He was unsure of how he could cheer her up, but he was also willing to try. "We've been through worse, right? So we'll get through this too."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Raven sighed. Her head was still hanging low, and her eyes were filled with an uncertainty that worried Beast Boy. He decided to take matters into his own hands. He wrapped one of the said hands around her shoulder, and forced the pale girl to lean against his own shoulder for a moment.

"C'mon Rae, be optimistic for a change."

"Hey you two; we're here." Robin interrupted the pair before Raven had a chance to respond in any way. She shrugged Beast Boy's arm away and quickly ran forward to catch up to Terra, Robin and Starfire. The blonde was looking up at the ceiling above them. Their dirt path, dug into the crust of the earth, had taken them at last to their destination. They were directly beneath Luthor's laboratory.

"Alright Team, listen up." Robin's voice took on that leader tone he reserved for planning times and battles. "We know Luthor is mass-producing those TK androids. We have to get in there and shut down his operation; for good." Robin pounded one gloved fist into the other.

"But we'll have to be careful. Who knows how many more of those things Luthor has in the lab." Terra pointed out.

"Indeed. We may be outnumbered." Starfire agreed, a slight concerned look forming on her face.

"Hey. If we're outnumbered, we'll just try our best. We've been up against worse. Besides – Luthor isn't expecting us, is he?" Robin grinned. "Terra, can you open a door for us?"

"Gladly." Terra replied with a smile. She lifted her hands above her head and the dirt that separated them from the floor of Luthor's laboratory began to sift away. Finally, the only thing above their heads was the cold steel of Luthor's Lab. Robin turned to Starfire now and nodded his head. She knew what to do. The Tamaranian girl's eyes became completely green and began to glow, and she fired lasers from them. The beams cut a hold in the steel floor, creating an entrance for the Titans.

"Titans Go!" Robin gave his usual command and he leapt into the new entrance. Starfire flew up behind him, and then Terra climbed up. Beast Boy waited on Raven, who had to take her time and climb manually, but once she was up, he turned into a bird and flew up the hole. Then he transformed back into himself when they were all inside.

The room they were in was gigantic. A hanger, of some sort, used to store things. It was also pitch black. There were no windows and no lights were on. The team was sitting in total darkness inside the laboratory, which did not sit well with Robin. Robin reached down to his belt and removed a small flashlight. He clicked it on and began to shine it around the room; but before he saw anything, a cold, familiar voice spoke.

"You see Luthor, I told you they would come."

Robin's heart skipped a beat when he heard the voice speak. A moment later a bright light blazed on from the ceiling, illuminating the room. The Titans all gasped when they saw their situation.

Around the edge of the room was a catwalk, high above the floor-level where the Titans had come in. Standing on that Catwalk was Lex Luthor, and beside him was Slade. Though not the Slade the Titans knew. This Slade wore a cold, blue adamantium suit identical to his old one in style, but different in color and substance. His mask was also blue-and-black, rather than orange-and-black, and made from the same pale aquatic colored metal. Still, despite the changes, they recognized Slade by both voice and appearance. His right arm, from the elbow down, was not just a suit. It looked like a skeleton arm, but it was also made from the pale blue adamantium.

More sinister than Slade's appearance, however, was the rest of what was in the room. On all sides of the Titans were more of the TK-series Androids. Dozens upon dozens of them lined the room. Apparently, Luthor had a whole warehouse full of the deadly droids.

"No freakin' way!" Beast Boy's jaw dropped. "Dude, how many lives does this guy have?"

Slade looked down at Beast Boy and he smirked. He remembered killing Beast Boy and Raven in the future just before he came here. Now he'd have the pleasure of destroying their past selves as well. How delightful.

"It's been a long while, Titans." Slade hissed, leaning forward on the railing of the catwalk. "I would so love to chat about the good ole days, but I don't have the time. I have to go head off your friends, Cyborg and Bumblebee, and stop them from obtaining the book of Azar."

Raven's eyes widened in horror when Slade said these words; Slade just laughed at her reaction. "Yes Raven dear, I know all about your friend's and their plan. And I assure you, I am going to stop them. Lex, you remember our agreement – destroy the Titans."

"Kill them." Luthor breathed. The TK-series androids all kicked online and began moving towards the Titans. The five teen heroes stood back to back. Robin was facing the north, Starfire and Terra on either side of him, with Beast Boy and Raven with their backs to the three of them in a star shape. The TK-series androids started to walk towards them.

"Ah, I've made a few minor adjustments to these." Luthor announced dramatically.

The TK-series androids lifted their hands, and large knife-like blades shot from their fingertips. The androids hands then began to spin around at incredible speeds, creating whirling hands of death.

"Team, let's do this." Robin hissed. Then he threw an explosive disc at a pair of nearby androids. It exploded, and the androids were both sent tumbling to the ground in a blast of flames and smoke. However, despite their injuries the androids both quick rose again without as much as a scratch.

Starfire let out a battle cry and lobbed a cluster of starbolts at some of the approaching androids. The starbolts smashed into their chests, arms and heads and caused a couple of them to fall over; but they got back up again. These androids were much stronger than those that had attacked them back in Steel City.

"I have to go now and beat the other Titans to the book." Slade informed Luthor. "Be sure you destroy them." With that, Slade clicked his feet together and lifted off into the air. Rockets fired from his boots and he flew out of the door, down the hall, and out of an exit in one of the other rooms. The Titans didn't have time to worry about Slade's abrupt exit, though, since they had other problems.

The battle was still raging, and not going well. Terra had cracked open the floor, causing several of the androids to fall inside, and then she resealed the ground crushing them flat. Unfortunately, just as she was preparing to repeat the process a second time, one of the androids fired its arm off at the elbow like a rocket. Terra squeaked and jumped away from the rocket-arm, whose fingers were still spinning like blades and as sharp as razors, but as she jumped away, a second androids used the chance to deliver a roundhouse kick to the back of her head. Terra flew forward, slamming into the ground and was knocked completely unconscious.

Beast Boy, meanwhile, had transformed into a great green gorilla. He grabbed one of the nearby androids at the elbows and twisted his arms off to the side at angles. Then he used that android to ram into another one nearby; turning the subdued android's claws into a weapon strong enough to pierce the adamantium carapace of the others. Beast Boy was able to use the subdued androids to destroy five other droids before the one in his arms became aware of what he was being use for, and activated self-destruction. Unfortunately for the green teen, he had no clue the android had begun to self-destruct until it was too late. The android in his arms exploded and Beast Boy was sent flying backwards. He landed on his back, transformed back into a human, and clutched his side in pain. A shard of metal had cut his stomach across and he was bleeding profusely.

Starfire gasped and turned to help her friends, but at that moment, one of the androids picked up the remains of one of his fellow droids and threw it at the redhead. Starfire turned in time to blast the remains with her starbolts and destroy them; but the shrapnel from the blast flew at hit her. Metal cut across her forehead and her left leg, and Starfire screamed and fell on the ground.

"Star!" Robin, who had just finished destroying an android with a combination of a freezing disc and his bo-staff, turned in horror. Three of the five titans were down, and they were still far-outnumbered.

It was Raven's turn now. She closed her eyes and began to focus on the demon gauntlet on her hand. She knew the glove had incredible power; since it had absorbed her own strength, plus that of Trigon, Azarock, Sadira and Magus. She lifted her gloved hand and the jewel on top became a red ruby. Flames sprouted from each of her fingers and engulfed the entire fist of the glove. Then, the flames worked themselves into a long whip. Raven swung the flaming whip and it sailed right through the chest of one of the nearby androids, melting right through the adamantium and causing the robot to explode.

Raven whirled around and whipped another android's head, cutting through it like a hot knife through warm butter. That android promptly exploded as well. Raven, it seemed, had found a way to win. She slashed again and again at every close-by android, and again and again they were destroyed easily.

"Damn you!" Luthor pounded his fists on the railing as he realized the tides of battle had turned, and victory was no longer in his favor.

"It's over Lex, give it up!" Robin called up to the infamous supervillian.

"Not yet, boy." Luthor pulled a small remote control from his pocket and held it tightly in his hand. "I still have a trick up my sleeve."

Luthor hit a button on the remote control, and the entire laboratory began to shake. A floor panel opened and a large, circular device began to slowly rise from the floor. The device was black and smooth; and opened just at the top where a white gem could be seen. It was the Cortex X-1000, Luthor's newest, and deadliest, toy.

"Prepare for hell, Teen Titans!" Luthor screamed. The white gem extended out of the top of the Cortex X-1000 and it began to glow with white light. The circular device twisted on its side, like a globe, and aimed directly at the unconscious bodies of Beast Boy, Terra and Starfire.

"Raven! You have to deflect that beam with your whip!" Robin yelled.

Raven stepped forward, the device readied to fire –

And that's when Mary jumped up from the floor. She had followed the Titans the entire way, and she had watched the battle, remembering what future Raven had taught her and warned her. She remembered that in her future, Raven did deflect the beam. The beam flew into outer space and hit a ship containing the Dark Ones – which is what attracted them to Earth and caused the end of the world.

Mary knew what she had to do. Screaming, Mary's eyes began to glow red. She fired a bright beam of red light from each eye, and the lasers smashed into the glowing white gem at the top of the cortex x-1000. The gem exploded into pieces, and the cortex shut down.

"No! NO! Another one? Who the hell are you?" Luthor shouted. Raven took a step backwards.

"Good question." She muttered.

Mary flew up into the air, so that she was at eye level to Luthor. She didn't say a word to him. Instead she flew forward and punched the bald billionaire in his stomach. Luthor spit, he was hit so hard, and he fell to his knees, clutching himself in pain. Then Luthor fell over on his side and passed out. Mary reached down and picked up the controller, and she hit a button that powered-down all of the remaining TK-series androids.

Raven, who was bent over Beast Boy's unconscious form, was staring at the unknown girl in surprise. Robin was kneeling between Terra and Starfire, watching Mary from behind his mask. After she knocked Luthor out, Mary turned and looked down at them with a nervous look on her face.

She could hardly believe that she was actually here, actually looking at them. She slowly flew down and landed in front of them, an awkward blush filled her cheeks.

" . . . I'm on your side." She said lamely.

"Wow, I never would have guessed." Raven replied in sarcastic fashion. She turned away from Mary and closed her eyes. The gem on the glove turned into a white diamond – the healing gem – and she held her hand up over the three unconscious titans. Slowly, the wounds on Beast Boy, Terra and Starfire melted away and their flesh was healed from the damage.

"Dude, did anybody get the number of that truck?" Beast Boy asked, sitting up and rubbing his head.

"Robin? What happened? Were we victorious? Who is she?" Starfire was full of questions, as always, but Robin only had answered to two of the ones she asked. The boy wonder was still staring transfixed at the mysterious girl who had stopped Luthor.

"Yeah Star, we won. And… good question." He replied at length.

Terra shook her head and looked around. Then she sighed. "I guess Slade escaped, again. I'd like to know how he came back, and where he got that blue outfit."

Mary choked. "What? Slade is here?" She asked.

"Yeah." Terra replied, giving Mary a 'who-are-you' look when she turned to look at her. "Except he got a make-over. The suit was all blue, and one of his arms looked like a metal skeleton."

Mary fell to her knees, her face suddenly becoming very pale. "He followed me . . . that bastard!" She yelled and slammed her fists into the floor. The entire building shook as she did, and a very frightened Beast Boy squeaked and hugged Raven close for protection.

"Okay, I think it's time for an explanation." Raven demanded, looking over at Mary. Mary, however, quickly stood up and shook her head.

"I can't! I've already broken too many rules by letting you all see me. I'm sorry." Mary said, and she sincerely meant it. She wanted to help, she just didn't know how. Then an idea came to her. "Oh! The glove!"

She ran to Raven and took the Goth Girl by the hand. Raven started to protest, but before she could Mary ripped the demon gauntlet off of Raven's hand and put it on over her own glove. Raven, again, opened her mouth to speak, but Mary raised the gauntlet up high and the stone turned into a green emerald – a form neither Raven nor Robin had ever seen before. There was a flash of light, and suddenly something black flew out of the stone and struck Raven in the chest.

"HEY!" Beast Boy transformed into a tiger and jumped towards Mary, but Mary floated up into the air above him.

"No! I helped her! Just look!"

Raven, who had been knocked off her feet when she was struck by the mysterious black beam of light, was slowly rising again. The others were all looking from Mary to Raven, trying to figure out what was going on. Finally Raven lifted her head.

". . . You restored my powers." She said quietly.

"Yeah, yeah I did." Mary sighed happily.

Beast Boy reverted back into his human form and looked at Mary with awe in his eyes. "How'd you know how to do that?"

"Raven taught me." Mary replied. Then she winced, realizing what she had said, and slapped her hands over her mouth. Raven raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean 'Raven taught you'?" Raven inquired, standing up and walking towards Mary.

"No! Seriously, just forget it." Mary gulped. "Just leave me alone!"

Raven, however, would do no such thing. "Who are you? Where did you come from? How did you know about Slade; and how did you know how to use that glove?"

"I can't answer that. I'm sorry, gotta go, bye!" Mary said very quickly. She turned and flew, trying to make it back to the hole in the floor that Terra had created earlier. Raven, however, had her powers back, and wasn't about to let this strange girl go.

"Azarath, Metreon, Zinthos!"

Black light illuminated Mary's body, stopping her flight in mid air. Then she was pulled back over to the Titans. She had a sheepish grin on her face.

"Now, answer the questions." Raven demanded flatly.

"I can't . . . " Mary repeated. "Please, just let me go."

Raven did not let her go. Instead, Raven took a Indian style sitting stance, floating in mid air, and released her soul self. The soul self flew into Mary's forehead, and vanished for a few moments. During that time none of the other Titans spoke, they just stood and watched. When Raven's soul-self left Mary's body and returned to Raven's, Raven stood up once again and stared at Mary with wide eyes.

"My God . . ." Raven whispered.

"I told you." Mary sighed.

"Who is she, Raven?" Starfire asked, looking at her friend with her large green eyes full of wonder.

"She's a Titan, from the future." Raven replied quietly, then even quieter, she said: "And she's _your_ daughter."

Starfire blinked.

Mary chuckled nervously.  
Robin looked like he wanted to strangle somebody.

"Dude, this is going to be one of those days. I can already tell." Beast Boy laughed.

None of them knew just how right he was.

And, in the confusion of this revelation, none of them thought to call Cyborg and Bee and tell them that their mission was no longer need – which is too bad, Because Cyborg, Bee and Jinx were about to walk into big trouble.

**

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	38. A Tale of Two Slades

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Thirty-Eight**

"A Tale Of Two Slades"

**A/N: **Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding! We have a winner, ladies and gents! **Kazzy103**, the newest new reader to leave a review, was the first person to get it right! Indeed, Kazzy, Mary **_IS_** based on Mariand'r, aka the Titan Nightstar – Nightwing and Starfire's daughter from the comics. For being so good at guessing, this chapter is dedicated to you! The rest of your questions are answered in the review replies. Also, since this chapter has two Slades in it, to avoid confusion Present Slade shall be called Slade, while future Slade is "Deathstroke".

Ahh, and to all you anime fans; mah very good friend and fellow fanfiction writer, Winter, has created an awesome message board for all forms of anime. You'll enjoy yourself there, so go register today, ya? So join it! And if you didn't, join the **Sonic Rapid Board I linked in chapter 37**!

http/ s12.invisionfree. com/ eatyournufu /index. php?actidx (Remove the spaces)

**

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**

Slade Wilson slumped down against the couch, breathing heavily. Wintergreen, his butler, had been servicing his medical needs for the last few hours, but now Slade had dismissed the old man so he could have some time to plan his next move. Slade's right arm, which was severed at the elbow, was covered in bandages. The one-eyed, one-armed mercenary was looking around the room of his hideout, trying to come up with a plan. He was injured, maimed and in a bad mood; but he was far from being counted out. Guns and swords lined the walls of the room, and several other weapons and explosives were encased in cases all around.

"Damn it!" Slade yelled to no one, slamming his left fist down on the arm of the couch.

Everything had been going downhill since he made his pact with Trigon. It was supposed to be easy. They would lure the Titans to Tamaran and finished them off during the Trials. The idea of destroying Robin, and doing it when he was searching for love, was satisfying for him. He loved the idea of causing his former apprentice so much pain; but it had all gone downhill. Things on Tamaran had been a failure, and everything that happened since had been even worse. Now he'd lost his demonic powers, he'd lost his arm, and he'd almost lost his life.

"Don't be so down, things will pick up."

Slade whirled around in an instant, grabbing a knife from the wall and holding it in his left hand as best he could. Someone had spoken to him from behind him; but when he saw who that someone was, his single eye widened.

It was Slade; the Future Slade, anyway. The Slade who was known as Deathstroke.

"Who the hell are you?" Modern Slade demanded.

Deathstroke laughed and took off his mask; when Slade saw his own face staring back at him he gasped. Of course, Deathstroke had half of his real face replaced with a robotic shell so that he had a robot eye; much like Cyborg's.

"I'm you; seventeen years from now." Deathstroke explained.

"And I'm not convinced." Slade replied. Someone in his line of work, especially someone as good as Slade, knew better than to believe a story like that without some kind of proof.

"Adeline Kane shot you in the eye." Deathstroke announced. "After your son Jericho was slashed in the throat by assassins who were after you."

Slade's eye widened. That was a story he told no one; and it was proof that this 'Deathstroke' was indeed Slade Wilson from the future.

"What do you want?" Slade demanded.

"I want to make things easier on me, by helping you." Deathstroke smirked and put his mask back on. Then he reached down to his belt and extracted a small vial of a blue liquid that seemed to have the same texture as metal. "Even as we speak, the future has already been changed. The signal that should have brought my masters to this planet was never sent. However, there is still a chance to bring them here, and because of that I have not vanished yet. We must ensure that the future I know comes to pass. We can only achieve this by destroying the titans, and then re-sending the signal. The Titans are still at Luthor's laboratory in Metropolis; I will go and kill them and re-send the signal, you find their friends at Brother Blood's book depository and do the same, Savvy?"

Slade smiled. "Kill the Titans? Why didn't you say so?" He eyed the blue liquid-metal vial in Deathstroke's hand. "What's that for?"

Deathstroke opened the vial, and the liquid-metal balled itself up and came out of the small tube. Deathstroke said something in a language that Slade did not understand, and the ball zipped across the room and hit Slade in the bandages on his arm. Slade screamed in pain, but watched as the ball peeled away his bandages and attached itself to the stump of an arm. The liquid-metal expanded and grew into the shape of a hand; and then it hardened into a cold, metal, skeleton-like arm.

"Isn't technology grand?" Deathstroke asked with a smirk. "That's the same adamantium substance that makes up my suit; you can transform it at will into anything in the world. A blade, a laser gun, a whip; whatever you want. Now go give my regards to Cyborg, won't you?"

Slade was pleased.

**

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**

The T-Car arrived on the beach, kicking up sand behind its wheels as it screeched to a halt outside of Brother Blood's old cavern. The cave itself wasn't on the beach; but on a hill beside the beach. High above the sandy surface of the smooth beach was a tall, rocky hill. It would be hard to reach the tiny ledge that led into the cave without a perilous climb up the side of the hill. Cyborg knew why Blood would hide his spellbooks here; it would be impossible for most to reach the cave. Of course, Bee could fly, and Jinx knew about an invisible staircase that would serve as her and Cyborg's path.

"I don't like this. Not at all." Cyborg complained as he walked up the invisible steps. Brother Blood had enchanted the staircase so that it could not be seen, even by those walking on it; and since it twisted and winded around and had a few missing steps, it was dangerous to walk on. Unless you knew exactly where to step, it would be easy to accidentally fall to one's death. That's why Jinx lead the way.

"Oh stop complaining." Jinx snapped as she jumped a step. "Watch out, there's no step where I just jumped. Don't get yourself killed."

As Cyborg climbed up the steps, careful to step only where he saw Jinx step, he began to think about things that had been happening lately. It seemed like each of the Titans had faced his or her own problems lately. Robin had to deal with Slade, and all of his old Gotham connections coming back to haunt him. Starfire had the issues on Tamaran, and her relationship with Robin had been tested in a way that was anything but fun. Raven had her insane family causing trouble. Beast Boy had been through the most of anyone; having to deal with everything from Slade to Terra to Trigon. So far Cyborg had been spared, more or less, from the drama. Now, as he walked up an invisible staircase with Bee flying at his side and Jinx walking ahead of him, he realized that the drama had finally caught up with him.

Cyborg was so lost in thoughts that he didn't notice Jinx jumping the next invisible step. He put his foot down where he assumed a step was, only to have it fall through. Cyborg yelped and lost his balance, falling right off the side of the cliff and plummeting towards the beach below. He felt Bumblebee grab his arm and attempt to catch him; but he was much too heavy with his metal body for her to hold him. Cyborg looked around desperately for some way to stop the fall, but found nothing. Below him he could see the jagged rocks that lined the bottom of the hill zooming into view and he knew he had only a few seconds before his death.

Then the rocks exploded. Cyborg hit the dirt where they had been only seconds before and grunted. He turned over to see Jinx standing on the invisible steps, her fingers still smoking from her spellwork. She had hexed the rocks, causing them to crumble into dust. It saved Cyborg's life, but it didn't stop him from hitting the ground painfully.

"Thanks . . . I think." Cyborg muttered as he sat up. Jinx jumped off of the steps, flipped in the air, and landed gracefully at his side. Bee buzzed her wings and landed on his other side. Cyborg ignored them both at first, shaking his head and trying to get the sore feeling out of his neck. That fall had hurt, a lot.

"Well its obvious climbing isn't your strong suit." Jinx said hotly.

"I hate to admit it Sparky, but she has a point." Bee agreed.

"Well, we need that book." Cyborg snapped angrily. Annoyed at Jinx for her comments, and equally, if not more, annoyed with Bee for her agreement.

"I guess we'll just have to take the elevator." Jinx mused. At first Cyborg thought she was joking, but a moment later she took her HIVE badge out of her belt, approached the solid stone wall of the cliff and held the badge up to it. As the golden honeycomb shaped badge touched the wall, a hidden door opened and sure enough, there was an elevator.

"That's been there the whole time?" Cyborg cried out frustrated. "Then why did –"

"Because the stairs take us straight to the level where the books are stored." Jinx explained before he could finish his question. "There's a guard station on the other end of the elevator. They'll take one look at the two of you and attack us. I was hoping to avoid that, but looks like we don't have a choice."

Cyborg laughed. "Please, we can handle some guards."

Jinx smiled at him with a sinister smirk that made Cyborg's blood run cold. "You say that now."

Jinx didn't explain further, instead she walked into the elevator and slumped against the wall. Cyborg sighed and looked over at Bee.

"She's up to something, isn't she?" Cyborg sighed, but he knew the answer already.

"Probably." Bee replied, shrugging her shoulders. "Nothing we can do about it."

"Just remember, this was YOUR idea." Cyborg replied hotly as he stood up and hobbled his way over to the elevator. Bee followed, but before she could board the elevator, Jinx took a step forward and held out her hand to block the black girl's entrance.

"You can fly." Jinx pointed out.

"And you can see." Bee replied, annoyed. "Although you can't see how horrible that Goth look is, but still—"

"You should fly up to the cave." Jinx insisted. "We'll take the elevator, you can go up there and secure the area. Once the guards are alerted by us using this elevator, they may lock the door; if they do we'll need you inside to unlock it."

Bumblebee shot Jinx a repressive look. She obvious did not like the idea of splitting up at all, but she could not deny the sense it made. If the door was locked by the security they were bound to face, then Bee's flight may be their only chance to get inside that room. Bee turned her face to Cyborg.

"I'll meetcha up there Sparky. Be careful." Bee warned, and it was obvious she was not just meaning the guards. Bee turned and flew up towards the cliff, and as she did Jinx was quick to hit the elevator button, causing the doors to slam shut leaving her and Cyborg alone for the ride up to the top floor.

"How can you _stand_ her?" Jinx asked in an annoyed voice.

"Her? Of the two of you, she's the only one who doesn't try to kill me on a regular basis." Cyborg replied.

"I've never tried to kill you." Jinx replied, batting her eyes sarcastically. "Maim you: yes, mutilate you: yes, injure you: yes, but never kill."

"Oh shut up." Cyborg snapped. Jinx laughed, this was amusing her.

"Jeez, you have no sense of humor at all, do you?" Jinx asked, raising an eyebrow. "Even Gizmo's more fun than you."

"Humph." This was Cyborg's response. Jinx shook her head again and shrugged, then she leaned back against the wall, shifting her weight from one leg to the other.

"You know, I don't buy this act." Jinx said.

"What act?"

"The way you're acting now. You were actually fun to hang around at school, what happened to you?" Jinx scrutinized his every movement and facial expression as she spoke. "Somewhere inside that tin-can of a body is a decent guy; so why do you run around acting this way for?"

Cyborg stared at her with wide eyes for a moment as if she was crazy. "This is how I always act when I'm saving the world, and I'll have you know I _am_ a decent guy."

"No, you're a boring, heroic idiot." Jinx replied. "You were a hellova a lot more interesting back at school."

Cyborg knew she was trying to get on his nerves, and he decided that two could play at that game. So setting himself up with a big smirk, he spoke again: "Sounds like your disappointed."

Jinx's response, however, caught him by surprise. "I am disappointed. You could have made one hellova villain."

Cyborg shook his head. "No thanks. Not interested."

Jinx shrugged. "I don't get the appeal of you heroes. You work so hard, and get nothing to show for it."

"That's not true. We get respect, and we're loved by the people." Cyborg defended his profession.

"Pfft. So? _I_ get fame and fortune."

"Hey, you can get that on the good side too." Cyborg pointed out.

"Yeah, that's what I've always wanted; a bunch of snot-nosed kids asking me for my autograph and a bunch of pathetic cops crying to me every time a law gets broken." Jinx's sarcasm was thicker than Raven's.

"It's a lot better than winding up in prison." Cyborg remarked back.

"If you say so." Jinx replied. Then the elevator stopped. Jinx held down the button that kept the doors from opening, and looked over at Cyborg, her face suddenly tensing up. "Even though Blood's history, his guards will still be here. They're robots. Big, mean robots."

"Great." Cyborg sighed. "How do we beat 'em?"

"_We_? I don't think so." Jinx paused as they reached a large door. The hallway from the elevator had ended and they had arrived at the book storage area. "Our deal was I take you to the book; I never said I'd help you actually get it."

Cyborg sighed. "You really like making things hard on me, don't you?" He asked, though the answer was obvious.

"Consider it payback for what _you_ did to _me_." Jinx replied bitterly. Cyborg opened his mouth to speak, but he closed it again. He had never realized how upset Jinx was over his deception in the HIVE academy. He had always just assumed she shrugged the ordeal off, as he had; but now it seemed that was not true.

"Listen . . ." Cyborg started to say, but he paused. What was he supposed to say? He could apologize, but it would be a lie. He wasn't sorry he had deceived her and the other HIVE children, it had been part of his job and he wasn't going to apologize for fighting crime.

"Save it, you've got company." Jinx pointed to the door ahead of them. It suddenly opened and Cyborg saw what appeared to be a gigantic metal crab scurry out of the open doorway. The robotic crab was blue and about as big as the T-Car was. Cyborg blinked, and then he laughed.

"That's Brother Blood's security force? Oh man, I was expecting something a lot meaner."

"Don't underestimate it." Jinx warned him.

"Yeah, yeah." Cyborg transformed his arm and aimed it at the metal crab. "Piece of cak—OUCH!"

Before Cyborg had a chance to fire, the crab opened its claws and fired twin ruby red lasers from each one. The laser blasts hit Cyborg in his chest and he was slammed into the wall behind him with a powerful thud. Cyborg tried to get up, but he found that he could not move.

"What the – it paralyzed my systems!" Cyborg shouted.

"I _told_ you to be careful." Jinx snapped. "Brother Blood designed these things with electro-sensory lasers; they'll leave any electronic device offline temporarily, and that includes you tin-man."

Cyborg grunted and tried to move; but none of his robotic parts was functioning correctly. His arms and legs were completely frozen up. He could still fire his sonic buster cannon, but it wouldn't do him any good since his arm was aiming off to the right side and the crab was advancing at him from the front.

"Jinx, help me!" Cyborg shouted as he grunted and tried to move using his human muscles. Unfortunately his body was too dependant on the mechanics and he didn't budge.

"Hmm . . . no, I don't think so." Jinx replied with a devilish smile on her face. Cyborg cursed loudly, calling her some very rude names as he tried to move. The gigantic metal crab was slowly advancing towards him and it was now only a few feet away from his feet.

His feet! Suddenly Cyborg got an idea. He couldn't move, but he could still fire the laser canon installed in his shoe. Cyborg waited until one of the crab's metallic legs was aimed up and then he fired a bright yellow beam from his shoe. It shot and smashed into the crab's leg, causing a small explosion and forcing the crab's metallic limb to snap.

The crab still had several other legs, however, and did not slow down in the least. It lost its balance a little, but continued to walk towards Cyborg; and now it was so close that he couldn't fire again. If he did, the explosion would engulf his feet as well. Cyborg watched the crab raise one of its large claws into the air and he saw the metal blade of the claw gleam in the hall light.

Cyborg squinted his human eye shut and turned off focus in his robotic one. He did not want to see what would happen next. However, he heard a pulsating noise, followed by the sound of rocks falling. Intrigued, and realizing he wasn't dead, Cyborg opened his eye and reactivated its robotic counterpart. He saw the of the cavern had collapsed on the robotic crab, crushing it flat. Bad luck for the crab.

"Thanks Jinx." Cyborg sighed in relief.

"Whatever. I only saved you 'cause Bee would've sent me back to jail if you died." Jinx claimed, dismissing his thanks. "Now let's go find that damn book so I can ditch you losers."

"Jinx . . . I'm sorry." Cyborg blurted out.

"What?"

"I'm sorry. Don't take this the wrong way, I'm not sorry I infiltrated HIVE, and I'm not sorry I took down Blood, but . . . I'm sorry if I hurt you doing it." Cyborg, who had been staring down at his own paralyzed body as it started to gain function again, looked up towards the pink-haired sorceress to see her reaction.

For a split-second, he could see an unidentifiable emotion on her face. It seemed to be an unnatural blend of happiness and sadness, which did not mix well. However, he may have just imagined it, because a second later Jinx scoffed at him.

"Don't treat me like I'm one of you sentimental heroes, okay? Just get your fat metal ass up and let's go find the insect queen." Jinx snapped, and then she quickly headed through the doors that the crab had come out of. Cyborg sighed and grunted, trying to reboot his systems. They had only just started working again, and it was hard to get up; but eventually he managed and he followed her through the doors as quickly as he could.

Once he reached the room, he sighed. He could not believe what he saw in front of him. Jinx had mentioned that Blood kept backups of all the books in the HIVE library here; but he never could have imagined something like this. There were mountains of books piled all across the room. Shelves overflowed and there were towers constructed of books. Cyborg's jaw dropped.

"Can you say needle in a haystack, Sparky?" Cyborg looked up to see Bumblebee buzzing around the room. She looked depressed. "There's over ten thousand books here; it'll take all day to find the Book of Azar."

"Hmm. That sucks. Call me when you two are ready to leave." Jinx muttered, then she walked off to a corner of the room and sat down in a chair that had a few books piled on the seat. Cyborg sighed.

"Man, when we get back I'm complaining to Robin. I'm a superhero, not a librarian."

"Who says you're getting back?"

Cyborg, Jinx and Bee all whipped around; there was Slade. His right arm, from the elbow down, was now made of poly-morphic adamantium. Cyborg noticed that and then he sighed. He wasn't sure how Slade had gotten the enhancement, but his systems identified the substance and he knew how dangerous it could be.

"You want to hear something ironic?" Slade asked with his usual sarcasm. "Raven's already gotten her powers back; your entire quest here is wasted. Of course, by now I'm sure she and all the other Titans are already dead."

"Well for your sake you better hope they aren't." Cyborg grunted as he aimed his arm cannon. Slade merely smirked behind his mask.

"Do you think the three of you can match me?" Slade asked. Slade and Cyborg had never actually fought that much – not for much longer than a minute, anyway. Slade's eye flipped to Jinx. "I can't believe whose side your on now."

"Aren't you the one who sold out his entire species; TWICE?" Cyborg asked loudly.

"Yes, but I remained a villain through both times. At least I'm loyal to _that_." Slade rebutted.

"You know, all this 'pre-battle' chit-chat, I've never really been a fan of it." Jinx announced. She waved her arms and the pink beams of light crashed into the ground. "And if we don't need the book, then let's just burry this idiot!"

The floor beneath Slade gave way, and Slade fell through. Slade's adamantium arm shot up with a whip and grabbed onto the roof; but Bee was too quick. She fired blasts from her golden B's that hit the roof and knocked Slade's arm free. Cyborg then fired his Sonic cannon against the roof, and several rocks broke lose and fell into the hole after Slade.

"C'mon, we better get down there and finish him off." Cyborg announced.

"No need too." Jinx laughed. "Remember the metal crab?"

"Yeah."

"The room below us is filled with them. Let them handle Slade." Jinx informed them.

Sure enough, the sounds of a battle beneath them raged. They heard Slade shouting loudly, and explosions followed that.

"You sure we outta take a chance like that Sparky?" Bee asked.

"Eh . . . we should probably go down there, but I'm more worried about the others, from what he said." Cyborg admitted. "We should get back."

"Then let's go Sparky; follow me, I found a shortcut out of here – speaking of which, why didn't YOU lead us in using the back path?" Bee demanded, turning to Jinx.

Jinx' pale face lit up into a fiendish grin. "Whoops. Slipped my mind."

"Yeah, I bet it did." Bee was still suspicious.

"Can we debate this later? I just want to go home." Cyborg complained.

**

* * *

**

"Starfire has a daughter?" Robin choked out.

"Raven! If you read my mind, you must have read the part where YOU forbid me to talk to anyone in the past; so why would you even mention this?" Mary asked as the secret was revealed to the group who stood in the floor of Luthor's laboratory.

"Starfire has a daughter?" Robin repeated, as if he couldn't believe the news.

". . . Actually, I didn't see that part, no. Reading minds is a lot more complex than reading a book, I only saw bits and pieces." Raven replied, her face suddenly falling.

"_Starfire has a daughter?_"

"We heard you the first fifty times Robin." Terra butted in, placing a hand on the boy wonder's shoulder, although he appeared to be in a wide-eyed trance and unable to speak anything but those four words.

"Maybe someone should explain, from the beginning." Beast Boy suggested.

Mary sighed and bit her lip. She was not supposed to talk about the future, but because they had already seen and learned so much, she gave into temptation. Raven had forbidden her from talking to them; but the Raven in this era was asking her to talk about it. She knew this Raven would probably agree with her future counterpart if she knew everything, but she decided to disregard this fact and go on as if nothing had happened.

"Okay, I'll tell you." Mary decided. "But you must swear that you won't interrupt me, you'll just listen, and if I say I can't tell you something for your own good, please believe me."

"Deal." Raven agreed.

"Sounds fine with me." Beast Boy decided.

"_Starfire has a daughter?_"

"Whatever you say." Terra also accepted the terms.

Starfire nodded her head; she hadn't spoken a word since the revelation came out.

Mary sighed. "Okay . . . in the world I come from, that machine of Luthor's that I destroyed sent out a signal when it fired. It attracted a group of powerful creatures known as The Dark Ones to earth. There are Seven Dark Ones, and their Empire. In my timeline, the Dark Ones arrive on earth a little more than two years from now – not long after I'm born, to be honest. A war begins, and in that war all of the world governments, and most of the finest superheroes on the planet, die."

"Die?" Beast Boy repeated looked uneasy.

"Not you." Mary shook her head with a small smile. "Actually you and Raven are some of the only survivors. But . . . the rest of the Titans, and the entire Justice League are wiped out. I was just a little girl at the time." Her voice cracked and it was obvious she tried to fight back a tear or two now.

"That's awful." Terra stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on Mary's shoulder. Mary nodded.

"It gets worse. The Dark Ones had help fighting the heroes. They hated all humans, but they did find one earthling who they liked enough to work with. They gave him a robotic body made of adamantium; making him immortal and nearly invincible. He . . . he led their armies in the battle. He was also the one who single-handedly killed most of the Titans."

"A human who sided with them?" Robin repeated, finally saying something new as a horrible realization dawned on him. "It was Slade, wasn't it? That explains that tricked-out Slade we saw before."

"Yeah, it was Slade; but he uses the name 'Deathstroke' in my time. He betrayed his entire planet to them in exchange for power, and he got it. In my time, Deathstroke is commander of all of their armies. He hunted down and murdered the superheroes himself. Superman, Batman . . . Nightwing . . . he killed them all personally."

Starfire gasped. She, who had experienced time travel before, knew that Nightwing was Robin. She looked over at the dark-haired boy next to her and saw him looking at the ground, depression soaking into his face. She did not know if it was caused from the idea of being dead, or from the fact that it was Slade who killed him – or if it was leftover depression from the notion of Starfire's daughter.

"You say he kills them all two years from now; but you're from seventeen years from now." Robin said, ignoring the pain and the questions. "What happened for the rest of those years?"

"Well, the surviving heroes fled underground and started a rebellion to try to save the earth. We found new superheroes, too. Raven and Beast Boy raised me after . . . the four of us fled underground and hid using Raven's powers. She and Beast Boy trained us –"

"Whoa 'four of us'? Who else was there?" Terra asked.

"Hmm? Oh . . . Sparrow. She was my friend." Mary's voice cracked again, like it had when she spoke Nightwing's name before. "Sparrow and I wanted to restart the Titans . . . make a new Teen Titans like our parents had, but—""

"Whoa, Sparrow's parents were Titans too?" Beast Boy blinked.

Mary nodded, feeling a bit amused by him of all people asking that, but her depression in having to tell them the sad tale, and thinking of her lost best friend, over road the amusement. "Sparrow was _your_ daughter."

"Oh." Beast Boy replied, then his eyes widened to the size of baseballs. "Wait, what?"

"Maybe we should let her finish the story about _the end of the world_, and then we can gossip about people's kids." Raven interrupted before Beast Boy could go further.

Beast Boy opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again. Raven's 'suggestion' was more of an order than a suggestion, and he knew it, so he fell silent.

"Anyway . . . we did restart the titans, three years ago, when I was only twelve. We were young, but we were well trained . . . there were five of us, but . . . only I survived. Sparrow and the others were murdered by Slade. That's when Raven decided that we had to go back in time and stop this future from ever coming to pass."

"But you have stopped it, have you not?" Starfire asked. She shifted uncomfortably, filled with awkwardness by speaking to her daughter whom she had no only never met; but was only a couple years younger than she was.

"No. I would have, by destroying that machine, but since Deathstroke is here too . . . I'm sure he's got a backup plan to make sure the Dark Ones still come. We have to find him and stop him. It's the only way to save your future, and my present."

"Of course Deathstroke has a back-up plan."

The Titans all twisted around with a gasp. The blue-plated Slade, Deathstroke, had appeared at the doorway near Lex Luthor's unconscious body. Deathstroke walked over to the railing and then jumped down from the catwalk onto the factory floor where the Titans had gathered. He stood up to his full height and looked at them.

"Slade." Robin spat the name with hatred.

"It's Deathstroke now, dear Robin. You're not the only one who changed his name in the future." Deathstroke replied with his usual sarcastic tone. "However, you are the only one who had his skull crushed."

It was hard to tell who was shaking with fury harder; Robin or Mariand'r. Both of them looked ready to run forward and attack Deathstroke, but neither of them did.

"You know, I'm not sure what will please me more, Mary, killing you at last; or killing your father for a second time. Ah, well, I know one way to find out."

"_Father_?" Robin blinked as a sudden realization dawned on him that he was the father of Starfire's daughter. It made sense – Mary was his mother's name. That meant sometime two years from now, Robin and Starfire had a child together. While the news was not exactly bad, it could not have come at a worse time.

"Can you flip out after we fight the bad guy?" Raven interjected.

"Fight the bad guy? My dear Raven, it won't be much of a fight, I'm afraid." Deathstroke grinned. His blue armor seemed to be moving over his body, almost as if it was made from a liquid. Raven didn't like the sight of that.

"Be careful." Mariand'r cautioned the present Titans. "His suit is made of a poly-morphic adamantium."

"Say what?" Beast Boy was as clueless as even when it came to 'science words'.

"Remember Terminator 2? Same principal, but much deadlier." Mariand'r obviously did know Beast Boy well in the future, Robin thought to himself, since she was smart enough to explain things by referring to movies.

Beast Boy may be content with this explanation, but Terra was not. She hated Slade, whether he was the Slade of their time or the Deathstroke of the future. Since he revival, she'd been through hell, and while she knew her own personal torment was mild compared to that of her friends, she had her own reasons for doing what she did. Since her return, Terra felt unconnected and out of place. This was partially due to what she had done, and partially due to all the changes that occurred during her long absence. She still sought a way to make up to her friends for all the harm she'd caused. She tried to do that before, by helping Raven when she needed a body for her soul – but it did not feel like enough.

However, she knew if she killed Deathstroke that would be more than enough. Punishing the man who sold out his entire planet and single-handedly hunted them down and killed them, on top of all of his past deeds, would make amends for everything and allow her nervous soul to rest. So while the others waited for some advice from Mary, or for some first strike from Robin, Terra decided to take Deathstroke down.

She yelled loudly and her eyes and hands flashed with a brilliant honeysuckle aura. The floor around Deathstroke cracked and broke; and two large pieces of flooring and the rocky earth beneath them lifted up and smashed together; sandwiching Deathstroke between the harsh rocks. The sheer force alone would be enough to smash bones and break skin. He should have died.

However, he did not. Deathstroke's armor, the poly-morphic adamantium, was not just a suit. It was integrated into his central nervous system. It was not a suit – it was his _skin_. Just like the adamantium could morph and change shape, and then reform like a liquid; so could Slade's future self. Blue liquid-metal seeped out from the cracks in the rock and reformed to created Deathstroke once more.

"The Dark Ones improved me quite a bit, as you can see." Deathstroke noted the astonishment on their faces. His amusement only grew when his fingers became long, pointed and nail-like. "I've never felt stronger."

"How do we hurt him?" Terra asked, stepping back in fright, as she turned pale from fear.

"You don't." Deathstroke replied sarcastically. "It is I who will hurt you!"

Deathstroke's fingernails grew even longer, until they were like whips made of the crisp blue liquid metal. He slashed forward with one of his hands and the finger whips slashed across Terra's face and chest. Where each finger struck her, a thin red line appeared. There was one across her face, two over her chest, one on her waist and one across her knees. A second later blood exploded from out of each of the cuts. Her clothing became torn and soaked with the crimson stain of blood and she screamed and fell down, hitting the ground. The other Titans stared in horror.

"Let's dance." Deathstroke laughed, then he swung his bloodstained whips at the rest of the ground. Robin did a back flip to avoid them, but one of the whips slashed at his cape. Starfire and Mariand'r both flew up and backwards, gracefully dodging the blood-soaked blue blade-like fingers. Raven put up a shield using her powers; but the shield was torn in half by the attack. Beast Boy transformed into a small hummingbird and avoided the whips. Then, remembering one of the battles on Tamaran, he flew at Deathstroke.

He remembered poking Slade's eye as a hummingbird once before; and decided to try to repeat the trick. Deathstroke thrust his other hand forward and brought all five razor-like finger whips down on Beast Boy's tiny bird form. The bird slammed into the ground, blood spewing everywhere from fresh wounds.

"No!" Raven watched him fall in horror and she flew forward, her eyes pulsating with fury. Slade whipped around and slashed at her with his fingers. The whip-like appendages cut at her face, but she used her demonic aura to shield herself from the blow. She landed beside the crumpled green bird that now lay amidst a pool of dark red blood and she scooped him up into her arms. A dome of black light surrounded both her and Beast Boy, protecting them from Deathstroke.

Deathstroke's fingers smashed against the light, wanting to break it so he could kill the pair. His bloodlust was consuming him, driving him mad with anticipation. However, before he had a chance to shatter Raven's shield, several starbolts slammed into him, sending him flying across the room. His long whip-like fingers wrapped around some of the rafters of the building and stopped him in mid-flight before he hit a wall.

Starfire, whose hands and eyes were blazing green, and Mariand'r, whose hands and eyes had begun to glow with a harsh red light, both floated above the surface of the ground. When Deathstroke was on his feet again, he launched his whip-like fingers at the girls; but they both fired beams from their eyes, which cut across the length of Deathstroke's fingers, severing them with small explosions.

Deathstroke did not show even the slightest bit of pain as his fingers were severed. Amazingly, the adamantium suit re-grew his fingers for him and once again, they became as if razor whips.

"I guess I should have mentioned . . . he's kinda immortal." Mary blushed and bit her lip.

"Eh, that's nothing new." Robin stepped forward, walking between the girls and facing Deathstroke. He had his bo-staff extended, and a passionate look of loathing in his eyes. "Get them out of here; I'll handle him."

"No!" Both Koriand'r and Mariand'r shouted at once.

"_Yes_." Robin replied harshly. "I need you to trust me. Please."

Starfire sighed. There was a super powerful Slade from the future here to kill them, and Robin wanted to fight him alone. She knew how crazy that sounded, but she also realized this was probably their only chance to save their injured friends.

Mariand'r could hardly remember her father, because she'd been so young when he died. It amazed her seeing him now. He was only a couple of years older than she was, and yet he showed every good quality she'd always heard Nightwing possessed, plus every quality one could wish for in a parent. What he was asking of them was impossible, but it was just as improbable to deny him his request.

"Don't worry." A monotone voice spoke. "I'll make sure Robin doesn't do anything too stupid."

Raven had reappeared from beneath her shield. She did not look so good. Her eye were darkened and she was clearly in a lot of pain; and it was no wonder why. She had used her healing powers on both Beast Boy and Terra, and it had caused her to suffer a great deal of anguish on their behalf. She handed the unconscious green bird to Mariand'r, and then using her powers she lifted Terra's unconscious body into Starfire's arms.

"Get going." Raven commanded. Mariand'r was even less enthusiastic about leaving her future foster mother here to face Deathstroke, especially with her injuries, but she couldn't argue. Starfire nodded sadly, looking from her best friend to her lover and she wanted to find some way to protest.

"I'm sorry, this is very cute and all but I'm getting bored; I think it's time we spill some more blood." Deathstroke's fingers had finally returned to normal, but the poly-morphic adamantium on his hands had changed shape again. Now both of his hands resembled guns, and they were aimed at the group. Red lasers fire from his gun-hands and headed for the group. Raven created a shield of black light which blocked the blasts, but because she was weak the shield shook and cracked under the thunderous assault.

"Go, now!" Robin commanded.

"Robin I—"

"Starfire, GO!"

Starfire and Mariand'r, each holding one of their fellow heroes, turned and sped away from Luthor's lab out of the window on the wall. They flew as fast as they could, neither one happy about being told to retreat, but neither able to argue with Robin.

Back at the lab, Robin watched them fly off for a moment before turning to Raven beside him. She was down on her knees, groaning and shaking as she tried to keep her shield up as long as she possibly could.

"Go Raven." Robin said in a soft voice.

"Not a chance." Raven replied.

"It's not a option. You're in no condition to fight." Robin insisted.

"And you can't fight him alone. You'll die if I leave."

"And we'll _both_ die if you stay. If I'm going to beat him, I need to be at my best; and I can't fight at my best if I'm busy worrying about you in the fight. You're not healthy enough for this kind of battle, Raven; and if I lose the Titans will need you to lead them. So go."

". . . I wish I was gullible to believe that." Raven sighed between grunts of pain. "But I'm _not_. This is personal for you because it's Slade; but it's personal for me too. I saw your daughters memories, I saw what this bastard did in the future to everyone I care about. No Robin, I'm _not_ leaving."

The black shield suddenly shattered with a monstrous boom. Deathstroke charged forward, his hands again transformed. This time they had become like gigantic mauls. Deathstroke headed straight for the fallen Raven, but she vanished into the floor and reappeared behind him.

"Azarath, Metreon, Zinthos!" Raven called, her eyes blazing black. The catwalk, which still contained Luthor's unconscious body and the broken bodies of the TK-series androids, turned black and was ripped out of the wall. The catwalk then flew directly at Deathstroke, but Deathstroke's maul hands changed into sword-like appendages and he cut the part of the catwalk that flew at him in two. Luthor's unconscious body and the androids fell onto the floor, and the two halves of the catwalk hit the wall.

"You'll have to do better." Deathstroke laughed.

"Hyah!" Robin slammed his bo-staff into the back of Deathstroke's head. Deathstroke fell forward onto the ground, and Robin made quick word of hitting him with a freezing disc, which encased his body in ice.

"Nice play." Raven said, then her face turned to a painful expression and she collapsed onto her knees. Robin quickly ran to her side.

"How much of Beast Boy's injuries did you absorb?" Robin demanded.

"As much as I could stand too." The Goth replied.

"And you absorbed part of Terra's wounds too?" Robin inquired.

"Yes . . . they were both dying, don't give me that look." Raven snapped.

"And now _you're_ dying." Robin responded in a whisper.

"Don't be a drama queen. I'll live." Raven insisted, but then she took in a sharp intake of breath and fell forward. Robin had to catch her in his arms so she didn't bang her head into the floor.

"Give me the glove." Robin demanded.

Raven looked up at him inquisitively, and then she remembered Arella's glove, which she had tucked into her belt after she lost the need for it. After Mary had used the glove to restore Raven's powers, she had returned the glove to Raven. Raven pulled it from her belt and handed it to Robin, who put it on once again. The gem on the top was still a green emerald, but when Robin placed it on his hand, it became the white healing diamond.

Robin gently set his gloved-hand down on Raven's chest and her body instantly became engulfed in white light. Raven closed her eyes and she could feel the internal injuries heal themselves. Her strength was returning, and she shut her eyes as it did. A moment later, she heard a scream – from Robin – and the sound of something shattering. She opened her eyes to find the gauntlet had shattered; Deathstroke had transformed his hand into a laser gun once again and shot the glove – he had escaped from his icy prison.

Robin was clutching his sore hand, but Raven had regained enough of her strength that she now knew how she could defeat Deathstroke. Crossing her legs she sat in mid air and hummed her mantra; and her soul-self sprang from her body and flew at Deathstroke. Deathstroke jumped back, trying to avoid Raven's soul-self, but he could not. She flew into his body, and a moment later Deathstroke screamed and exploded from the inside out.

His adamantium could repair itself; but he himself could not. Deathstroke was dead. The blood-drenched spirit flew back into its body and Raven opened her eyes and looked over at Robin, who was staring at her, wide-eyed.

". . . Let's see him recover from that."

**

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**

_**Several Hours Later, in Gotham City**_

"That's quite a story."

The Teen Titans, both East and West, had reunited at Bruce Wayne's mansion in Gotham. It had taken a long time for them all to get in contact with one another, but eventually they had, and they had agreed the best place to regroup at would be the Batcave. Now they were all in the small hospitalization section of the cave. Beast Boy was awake and lying in one of the beds, which Raven sat on the end of. Terra was lying in another bed, several bandages on her body. Robin, Starfire and Mariand'r all sat a table, Batman and Superman both sitting across from them. Cyborg, Bee, Speedy, Jinx, Aqualad and Mas Y Menos were all sitting at another table, Alfred at their side taking request on food and drink orders.

They had all just finished recounting their separate tales.

"Okay, hold up." Beast Boy interrupted, looking around the room. "Is it over now?"

"What do you mean?" Raven asked her forest-colored boyfriend.

"Well, Luthor's in prison, right?" Beast Boy asked.

"At last." Superman confirmed. He had heard the entire story from Bruce and returned right away to give his thanks to the Titans for helping with his own archenemy.

"And ALL of the demons are gone?" Beast Boy asked, this time looking at Raven.

"Not all of them. I still have a few hundred brothers and sisters out there." Raven replied, but when she saw the horrified look on Beast Boy's face she shook her head. "Relax, all the homicidal planet eating ones _are_ dead."

Beast Boy didn't looked relaxed, but he decided to continue. "And Slade?"

"Oh, he's dead." Raven replied, shuddering a bit at the memory. "Trust me, he's dead."

"Yeah, and the Slade from our time's dead too BB." Cyborg added, then he bit his lip. "Well, I think. I mean . . ."

"Relax Sparky, he's crab bait." Bee hit Cyborg's arm playfully and leaned back in her chair.

"Okay . . . and those Dark Ones? What about them?" Beast Boy looked over at Mary. Everyone looked in her direction. She was sitting next to Starfire, and when all eyes turned to her, she shook her head.

"I don't know. I won't know if we've changed the future until I return to it." She told them simply.

"Don't worry about them Beast Boy." Robin interjected.

"Dude, they wiped out the whole planet; how can you say that?" Beast Boy asked.

"Beast Boy, over the last few months we've fought Slade, Trigon, Joker, Luthor and a thousand lesser evils in-between." Robin reminded him. "And every time our enemy got darker and stronger, we just became more determined. I don't know what's coming in the future. Dark Ones or not, there will be more evil for us to fight. Every day will be a new challenge; that's part of the business. But as long as we stay together and stay strong, we WILL defeat whatever comes."

No one spoke. Everyone just sat in quiet for a few minutes, thinking about Robin's declaration. Then, at length, Mary stood up.

"I had better be going."

"No!" Starfire, who had become quite attached to her daughter, protested.

"I have too. I can't stay in this era . . . besides, I want to see how the future's changed." Mariand'r replied sadly.

Starfire threw her arms around Mariand'r, pulling her into a tight hug. Luckily, Mariand'r was half Tamaranian and the usual bone-breaking super strength didn't effect her as much as it could have. When they broke away, Starfire's eyes were welling up with tears. Mariand'r then walked across the room and drew a runic circle on the ground in silence. When she finished, she stood on it and faced the group.

"As much as I hated the reason for our meeting, I'm glad I got to see all of you." She told them.

"We'll see each other again." Robin promised.

"I'm looking forward to it." Mariand'r nodded.

"Azarath, Metreon, Zinthos!" Raven called. The runic portal beneath Mariand'r blazed with white light, and the group squinted from the brightness. When eyes opened again, Mariand'r was gone. Starfire began to cry and grabbed onto Robin, burying her face in his chest and sobbing silently.

"Aww, c'mon Star, cheer up." Terra begged her friend from her bed. "If you _really_ want to see Mary again, you and Robin can borrow my bed for a while."

Robin turned about as red as his girlfriend's hair and he shot Terra a dirty look. The blonde simply laughed, as did everyone else.

During that moment, that laughter was all they noticed. The Teen Titans had been through hell and survived; and they had all become stronger, wiser and happier from it.

Unfortunately, the Teen Titans story was not over yet. What none of them ever realized, was that the Dark Ones had never wanted to conquer earth. They had been on their way to a completely different planet when Luthor's beam attracted their attention. While it was true that the Dark Ones would not be coming to earth, they were on their way to their original destination.

A planet the Titans knew all too well – Tamaran.

**

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	39. Back To Tamaran

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Thirty-Nine**

"Back To Tamaran"

**A/N:** Hahah. Someone told me, in the review replies, that they were surprised this was going to end at fifty. O.O Honestly, I think it will end with chapter fifty; but . . . you never know. Depends on how many ideas I can get. Anyway, this chapter shall be dedicated to **HRH-Ft-Louie** and **april4rmH-town**. Why? Cause both of them have been reading and reviewing a lot and I haven't dedicated anything to them yet… so now I'm doing it. XD  
This one is shorter than usual, but that's because I haven't had as much writing time as I normally do.

**

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**

There were over fifty metal crabs in the room that Slade had been knocked into by Jinx, Bumblebee and Cyborg. That is fifty angry robot crabs attacked him all at once. If he had not been so well skilled, and if he didn't have his new poly-morphic adamantium arm, Slade Wilson would have been killed by those crabs. However, after several minutes of intensive fighting, he was able to defeat them and escape from Brother Blood's book depository.

He was injured. He had cuts, scrapes, blast marks and bruises. He was bleeding and panting and he was on the verge of death. Slade had taken too much abuse over the last few days. His main problem was he'd lost so much blood when Beast Boy bit his arm off that he'd been severely weakened; and now these new wounds only added to his injury. He was going to die from blood loss if he didn't get medical attention soon.

Where could he go? He could not return to his base and Wintergreen's care quickly enough. He would pass out and bleed to death along the way. Jump City was out of his reach, but he was not far from Steel City. That's when the answer came to him. Last time he had checked, _she_ lived in Steel City. Would she help him? Would she take him in and nurse his injuries and save his life? Or would she shun him and turn a blind eye to the dying man?

Slade had to take his chance. Using all of his strength, he forced himself to walk to Steel City. It took several hours, but he made it at last. He was dirty, tired, bleeding and on the verge of collapse; but he found her small house on the edge of town. She lived near a park where the children played. He could see a tall tree in her front yard and he slowly crept his way towards her door. Slade knocked on the door, and then fell to his knees on the doorsteps.

When the door opened, a white-haired young woman appeared in the doorway. She looked down at Slade and she gasped.

"Who are you?"

"Rose . . . I need your help." Slade replied.

The woman's – Rose's – eyes widened as she recognized the voice. She could not see Slade's face, and she had not heard his voice in several years, but she would not forget it ever. He had looked up her a few years prior to his first encounter with the Teen Titans. He had wanted to get to know her, but she had turned him away, saying she wanted nothing to do with him or his business.

However, as Rose saw him bleeding to death on her front door, she could not send him away. "What happened to you?" She asked as she stooped down to her knees and placed a hand on Slade's back.

"It is a long story, that I will share with you later. Right now Rose, you have the power."

"What power?" Rose asked, confused.

"The ultimate power. The power over life and death; _my_ life or death. If you turn me away, I will die."

Rose closed her eyes, when she opened them again and wrapped her arms around him and helped him get to his feet. Slade leaned his weight against her and slowly the two of them hobbled into the house. Rose sat him down on the couch, and then began walking towards the kitchen to get a medical kit she kept under the sink. She paused at the doorway between rooms and looked at Slade.

"Mom would've wanted you to live, that's why I'm helping you." Rose announced, then she walked off.

Slade smiled to himself. "That she would have."

Rose Wilson – Slade's only daughter – approached him with a medical kit under her arm. She was a sweet girl, and a good person. She was, however, his daughter and Slade saw a potential in her. She would not remain a sweet little girl much longer, that Slade knew.

He knew how to do it. He would inject her with the same super serum that had been used on himself, and on Grant Wilson; the Ravager. Slade had already decided she would become his new apprentice. She would be the perfect candidate. She was, after all, his flesh and blood.**

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**

_**Two Years Later**_

Titans Tower stood as a monument in Jump City Bay. The gleaming mass of silver-and-blue gleamed in the fiery-orange of the setting sun. The city was safe and peaceful, and had been that way for quite some time. There were, as always, troubles for the city. Super villains continued their relentless assault on peace and harmony; but not like there once was. The worst villains that showed up now in days were Mad Mod or the HIVE children; the real evildoers had vanished into the night, and hadn't been seen in a long time.

The events set into motion by Shady's visit had ended; and life had gone back to normal. Well, as normal as life can be for teenage superheroes who live in a giant T. Of course, there were some changes to the Tower life. Terra was back as a full-time Titan, living in the tower with the group just as she once had. Also, it wasn't unusual to see either Bumblebee or Jinx at the tower. Over the last two years Cyborg had grown questionably close to both of them, and they both frequented the tower, though not all the time. Bee was still living in Steel City, leading the Titans East; and while Jinx was considered a traitor by her former HIVE buddies, she wanted nothing to do with the Titans as a whole, and often avoided their tower. Although occasionally she would show up, for Cyborg's benefit only.

On this particular day – the two-year anniversary of Shady's visit – the Titans were relaxing and going about what had become normal routine. Cyborg and Robin sat on the couch, their minds wrapped up in the world of Gamestation as they tried to defeat one another on their latest fighting game. Terra was in the nearby kitchen, digging through the refrigerator despite the fact she knew perfectly well there was nothing to eat, save some leftover tofu and some chicken that had been in there for so long it was growing blue fuzz on the outside of it. Raven was floating near the window with her legs crossed and her eyes closed, soaking in her evening meditation. The only one missing from the group was Starfire.

Starfire was on the roof, lying on her back and looking up at the starry sky. Night was falling fast and as the orange sun vanished under the horizon, the sky was draped in velvety black night with tiny silvery stars blazing through. She had a slightly anxious gaze on her face as she stared at the constellations, thinking about several things. Her mind was troubled and her world was weighted. Starfire knew the time was approaching, and she knew she'd never get another chance like this again . . . at least not for 1,729 more years.

On the one hand, she wanted to ask Robin. It was tearing her apart inside with anxiety and worry at his answer. She wished it could be simple, but she knew things were anything but. The city needed them, it wasn't like they could just take off for a while; but on the other end of the spectrum, this wasn't something they could reschedule. This was the only chance they'd have in their lifetime, and it was important to her.

"Whatcha doing up here?"

Starfire squeaked as she heard a voice speak and she sat up to see Beast Boy.

"I am stargazing." Starfire replied, relieved that it was the green teen and not the boy wonder that had appeared on the roof. She wasn't quite ready to face Robin yet.

"Oh." Beast Boy seemed not to notice the worried look in her eyes and he did not hear the stress in her voice. He waddled over and sat down next to her, turning his wide eyes towards the sky.

"What brings you to the roof?" Starfire asked. She had wanted to be alone to do her thinking, but since he was here she couldn't very well ignore him.

"Cyborg whooped my butt in Mega Monkey: Battle Arcade, so now I'm waiting for him and Robin to get done so I can have a rematch." Beast Boy explained with a small yawn. "But, y'know, they're both good so it'll take all freakin' night before I get another turn."

"Indeed, they are skilled at the game of battling monkeys." Starfire replied. Beast Boy's green eyebrow rose a bit. He was getting a distant vibe from Starfire, as if she was here, but her mind was elsewhere. He recognized this vibe because Raven put out a similar one whenever he would start talking to her about video games or try to convert her to become a vegetarian.

"You okay Star?" Beast Boy asked.

"Of course, why would I not be?" Starfire asked with a nervous laugh, which made it obvious she was anything but okay.

"C'mon, what's wrong?" Beast Boy butted into her business as he always did. He loved getting involved in other people's problems and trying to solve them, although it was not his most endearing quality.

Starfire bit her lip. She needed to get some advice from someone about this situation, but she wasn't sure Beast Boy was the best person to ask. It wasn't that she didn't value her green friend's opinion; she just knew that he was . . . Beast Boy. However, she was saved from any form of explanation when the door leading up to the roof opened yet again; this time it was Robin who joined them.

"Cyborg kicked my butt; your turn Beast Boy." Robin said as he walked over and sat down right next to Starfire.

"Sweet!" Beast Boy jumped up and ran towards the door. Starfire let out a sigh of relief. She had been afraid Beast Boy would say something about her mood in front of Robin, thus forcing a confrontation with him at last.

"Oh, dude, something's wrong with your girlfriend." Beast Boy added as he vanished through the doorway. Starfire winced and cursed her luck silently in her head. Robin's eyebrow rose beneath his mask.

"What's wrong Star?"

"Nothing!" Starfire said much too quickly in a high-pitched voice.

"C'mon Starfire, you're a horrible liar." Robin replied. He sat up on his knees and crawled around so that he was in front of her. She looked away, becoming interested in her purple shoe. Robin leaned back and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Starfire."

"Yes?"

"What's on your mind?"

"I have a request." Starfire blurted out before she could stop herself.

"What is it?" Robin asked.

"I do not know how to ask you this, Robin." Starfire admitted, shifting nervously. An idea came to her suddenly. Starfire was never a dishonest person, but perhaps a little white lie would not hurt here. She was afraid if she told him the entire truth now it would frighten him; but if he only knew part of it, then perhaps he'd agreed, and then when they got there . . . no, she knew that was wrong. She should not do something like that. It was completely against her nature. She paused and looked at Robin with her large green eyes. Starfire was not a liar. She could not become one, no matter how hard it would be to tell the truth.

"Star, just ask me."

"May we go to Tamaran?" She asked him, biting her lip. He blinked, obviously not expecting this.

"Well, I don't know Star. What for?" Robin asked. He wanted to just say 'yes, of course', but reality was he could not. The city depended on them; even though the city was a lot safer than it had been. Brother Blood, Mad Mod, Killer Moth; most of the cities criminals had been sent to prison or killed, and of course, Slade was long gone.

Starfire sighed. She hated the idea of keeping the truth from him; but she did not know how to get those words out. She had to tell him of course, but she had to do it in a way that would not completely frighten him. She would start by explaining about the ceremony. That is what she decided.

"It is for . . . em . . . an old Tamaranian Tradition." Starfire stammered. "Do you recall the Trials, Robin?"

"Oh yeah, can't forget those." Robin replied, the memories of their second trip to Tamaran still embedded in his memory even after two years.

"Well, this is another old tradition like those. Every few thousand years the stars align with Tamaran, and it is said that a couple who is . . . present . . . on Mt. Gandrake when the planet aligns with the stars will be blessed with a love that is eternal, and it is said that anyone who stands upon the mountain and makes a wish while basking in the light of the stars will have that wish come true." Starfire explained. It was all true, she merely changed a single word in the explanation. Robin would find out later, she knew, but she had time to prepare before then.

Robin seemed to be in deep thought for a moment, and then he looked up at her. "This is important to you, eh?"

"Indeed."

"And the only time we can do this is when the planet and stars align?"

"Yes."

"And that would be . . . ?"

"This month."

"Yeah, okay Star, lets do it."

Starfire's eyes widened and lit up with bright happiness. "Really?"

"Why not?"

"Oh!" Starfire threw her arms around him, squeezing Robin in a tight hug. She kissed his cheek too and after she let go of him, Robin was smiling as he tried to catch his breath. "Thank you Robin!"

Then she paused. Starfire decided to tell him everything right now. She owed it to him. It might scare him off, but she did not think so. "Robin, there is something you should know. The ceremony we are to attend . . . in truth it is a –"

At that moment, a loud siren drowned her voice out. Red lights flashed all over the tower, and both of the titans on the roof suddenly knew there was trouble. Without a word, Robin jumped to his feet and ran back through the door. Starfire followed him quickly, floating behind him and heading down towards the main room of the tower. They found all of the others there as well, gathered around the TV monitor. Raven stood at the control panel.

"Trouble?" Robin asked.

"Someone's attacking the chemical factory." Raven informed him.

"The _new_ chemical factory?" Robin groaned. Jump City had recently built a new industrial chemical factory; it was huge and produced several different kinds of highly toxic and radioactive chemicals that were used in fuel making and nuclear processing. Robin knew how dangerous a place like that could be if they didn't stop whoever was behind the assault.

"Titans, go!"

**

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**

"Are you certain they will come?" The woman asked.

At the chemical factory, on a catwalk that overlooked a batch of highly volatile chemicals, a woman stood in the dark. She wore a tight dark blue cat suit and a mask that covered from her nose up to the top of her head. She had yellow gloves and matching boots, and on her yellow belt were an assortment of weapons. She was speaking into a cellphone.

"They will come. They always do. Just remember what I taught you."

Below her, Plasmus was gorging himself on toxic chemicals. The gigantic pinkish-blob of a man was licking up the glowing green waste with his tongue like an overgrown dog. The woman watched him with disgust in her eyes.

"What do we need that thing for?" She asked over the phone.

"Plasmus? Oh, he's just a means to an end. Don't forget, I'll need a little extra time to disable the security systems. Cyborg is no fool when it comes to making these." The person on the other end of the phone stated.

"I don't see why I can't just kill them now." The woman complained.

"Rose my darling, I doubt you _could_ kill them now. Even if you could, however, I need them alive a little long. This is about more than just murder; this is about revenge. I want them to suffer just as I have suffered. You understand that, don't you?"

"Yes father." Rose the Ravager replied over the phone. Suddenly she heard the sound of motors approaching fast and a dark smile spread over her face. "I think I hear them now."

"Good. I'll infiltrate the tower while you and Plasmus keep them occupied. Have fun, but don't kill them yet."

Slade's voice was replaced with a click, and then a dial tone. Rose hung up her phone and pressed herself flat against the wall of the factory, watching and waiting. A moment later the door opened, and the six teen titans burst into the factory, Robin leading the way, with Starfire, Terra, Beast Boy, Cyborg and Raven behind him.

"Gee, the person attacking the chemical factory is Plasmus." Raven stated in her monotone voice. "I'm shocked." Her sarcasm washed over the group in usual fashion.

"Dinner's over Plasmus; time to pay the check." Robin announced, and then he ran forward towards the beast. Plasmus, however, shot a chunk of slim off his arm like a rocket and hit Robin in his chest. Robin was struck and hit the ground, trapped beneath the sticky sludge. Plasmus roared and raised his foot, ready to stomp on Robin.

With a whistle, a starbolt whirled across the sky and blew a hole in Plasmus's chest. Plasmus let out a rough scream of anger and aimed a blow at Starfire, firing a chunk of his fist like he had at Robin; however, this time black light caught and illuminated the sludge in mid-air. Raven set the goo down in the corner, and as she did Cyborg stepped forward and blasted one of Plasmus's legs with his sonic cannon. The leg exploded and Plasmus tumbled over onto his side.

Terra, meanwhile, ran to Robin's side. Her hands began to shimmer yellow and several rocks broke up from beneath the floor. One of them was jagged and sharp; she used it to cut the boy wonder free of the goop. Robin jumped up and grabbed a freezing disc from his belt. He tossed it at Plasmus, who was reforming his leg and getting back up; the disc hit him and caused his body to become coated in thick ice.

"Dude, this guy gets more annoying every time we fight him." Beast Boy stated.

"_We_? You didn't lift a finger." Raven pointed out as she floated over next to her boyfriend.

"Well, I was about too." Beast Boy replied. "Plasmus is lucky he went down when he did, I was just about to whip out the big guns. Yeah, I'm disappointed the fight's over to be honest, I was looking forward to opening a can of whoop ass."

"Mmm, who says it's over?" Rose stepped out of the shadows; the Titans did not know who she was, but the moment they saw her outfit they had a bad feeling. All side of the Titans turned to see her approach them. She held a thin, silver short sword in her right hand and she licked her lips with her tongue, tasting the black cherry lipstick, she wore.

"Who are you?" Robin demanded. He had been trying to wipe some of Plasmus's goop out of his hair, but when he saw her, he grabbed his bo-staff.

"I'm your executioner." Rose replied boldly. She jumped forward, as fast as lightning, and slashed at him with the sword. Robin blocked with his bo-staff, but the staff was cut neatly in half. Before he could react, she kicked him in the lower stomach and he doubled over. Then she kicked him again, this time in the side of the head. Robin rolled across the ground leaving a trail of blood from his nose.

Raven ripped a piece of the catwalk off of the wall with her powers and threw it at Rose; but she jumped up and landed on top of the flying catwalk as it came towards her. Raven tried to smash her into a wall, but she jumped off at that moment and brought her boots down on Raven's face, knocking the empath to the ground, her eyes clenched tight in pain.

Starfire flew towards Rose with her eyes and hands glowing with green fury. Starfire was incredibly angry; but Rose lobbed a small ball off of her belt which collided with Starfire in midair and caused a cloud of thick gray smoke to engulf the alien girl. Starfire coughed and choked and fell to the ground, her eyes watering, her nose itching and ears throbbing with pain.

A green tyrannosaurs rex roared and ran at Rose; but she slashed at a low pipe with her sword and a thick jet of green sludge sprayed out of the side of the pipe tank of chemicals and covered the floor. Beast Boy slipped and fell forward on his enormous dinosaur face. He transformed back into normal just in time to have Rose kick him in the face and send him rolling across the room.

Cyborg fired a sonic cannon shot at her; but Rose deflected it off the edge of her sword and the shot wound up hitting the frozen Plasmus instead; freeing him from his icy prison. Terra had been preparing an attack, but when Plasmus was freed, her grabbed the blonde with one of his large sludge covered hands and squeezed tightly. Terra struggled to break free of his grip, but wasn't strong enough. Starfire, who had recovered, flew up to free her friend; but unfortunately, the spraying chemicals from the pipe Rose had slashed earlier were now spraying on Plasmus, causing him to grow even bigger. Starfire fired her eyebeams and cut his fingers off, allowing Terra to drop down to the floor below and save her from his death grip.

However, Plasmus's fingers re-grew quickly and his body was becoming different. He began to grow large, purple spikes from all over his body and his eyes began to burn like green fire. Plasmus let out a bellowing yell of rage and the spikes shot from his body in all directions, smashing into the walls and roof of the chemical plant.

"Looks like the structure is weakened." Rose noted with a smile. She removed a bomb from her belt and tossed it into the air. It exploded and destroyed one of the main support beams of the building. The roof began to cave in around them. "Ta, Ta, Titans!" Rose jumped to one of the window and leapt out of the building as it collapsed. One of the hanging lights broke off and fell into a batch of chemicals; the combination of electricity and volatile chemical waste detonated. The entire factory went up like one big fireball. When the smoke cleared all that was left was a gigantic crater.

Rose, who had run to the nearby highway on a hill next to the chemical plant, looked down and expected to see the titans' bodies burning in the eerie chemical fire. However, her jaw dropped at what she saw. An gigantic dome of black light was shimmering in the middle of the bright flames, all six titans were beneath the dome, safe and sound. Rose cursed and quickly headed out of sight. Her father had been right, they were better than she gave them credit for.

Inside the dome, Beast Boy rubbed his sore head. "Who was psycho chick?"

"Don't know, but she was definitely dangerous." Robin replied bitterly. "Let's get back to the tower, I'll run a check through the known criminal database and see if I can find a match –"

"Robin?" Starfire interrupted, an expecting sadness in her voice. "Does this mean that what we spoke of before is to be cancelled?"

Robin sweatdropped. During the fight, he had forgotten all about his promise to Starfire that they would go to Tamaran. He bit his lip. He knew what he had to do, and he knew she would not like the answer she was about to get; but what could he do? They had a new supervillian in town; they could not leave now.

"I'm sorry Starfire." He sighed quietly.

Starfire closed her eyes and said nothing.

"Did I miss something?" Terra asked, curious as always.

**

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**

Slade was successful in breaking into Titan's Tower, though not how he had hoped. He had not been able to come in through the front door, so he decided to break in through a window. He had found Starfire's bedroom window unlocked, however, and crawled in through there. He had been on his way to her door to make it down to the main room when his phone rang. He answered it and found that it was Rose.

"Father, I tried to destroy them in a trap, but they survived." Rose reported.

"That does not surprise me. Unfortunately, I ran into more trouble than I expected; I need more time."

"I'm sorry father, they're on their way back now."

Slade swore. He was angry – his first attack in two years and it was a failure. He kicked Starfire bed in anger, and a small crystal orb rolled out from under her pillow and dropped on the floor. The action activated the orb, which was a communication orb from Tamaran. The holographic image of Galfore appeared and he delivered a message. Starfire had received the orb the previous night – it was the cause of her earlier worry.

When Slade heard the message, his eye widened in surprise, and then the wheels inside his head began clicking and turning as an evil plan formulated. He smiled to himself and then he spoke to his daughter once again over the phone.

"Rose, darling, I think we just caught our lucky break. I'll meet you back at the base."

Slade's right arm, which had been bitten off by Beast Boy and then replaced with an adamantium replacement from his future self, was now a robotic replacement. The adamantium arm had vanished when the future was changed; but Slade had gotten a new replacement. He picked up the orb with his robotic hand and replaced it under Starfire's pillow. Then he hurried back out the window to meet up with his daughter.

Slade found the entire thing rather ironic. This was going to work out just fine after all.

**

* * *

**

The Titans returned home, all of them in a bad mood from their defeat. Cyborg had taken Plasmus back to jail, and therefore was absent from the group. Plasmus had been turned human from the explosion, and knocked unconscious. The rest of the team was now spread out throughout the tower. Beast Boy and Terra were sitting at the kitchen counter, both complaining about their injuries. Robin and Raven were at the monitor, going over the list of criminals in the known supervillian database, trying to find a match to the one they had fought tonight. Starfire had gone up to her room without a word.

Robin was depressed for two reasons. For one, he knew they had a new, deadly enemy. For another, he knew Starfire was upset about them canceling the trip. She had explained that this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and he felt horrible for denying it to her. However, they could not leave the city like this right now.

"You know she's crying right now." Raven said offhanded from where she sat beside him.

"What? Who?" Robin was confused.

"Starfire. You need to go talk to her." Raven replied, her eyes fixed on the screen instead of Robin.

"How did you --?"

"I'm psychic." She replied before he could even finish the question. "I thought you knew that already." She teased him a bit, and then her voice became serious again. "You really do need to talk to her."

"And you need to stop reading minds." Robin muttered.

"Robin, yours isn't the only mind I read; and believe me, she has her reasons for wanting to go to Tamaran."

Robin was intrigued by this. He didn't know what she meant by what she'd just said, but it made him get a funny feeling that there was something he didn't know about this entire thing. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"Like you said, I need to stop reading minds." Raven responded with a small smile. Robin glared, but she ignored him. "Listen, it isn't my place to say; although I do think the trip is a good idea."

"We can't leave the city with a new villain." Robin replied instantly.

"I'll call Bumblebee; have the Titans East look in on the city for us." Raven argued. "Robin, I wouldn't give you bad advice, would I? Just trust me."

Robin sighed and gave in. He didn't like this idea, but he did not really have a choice, did he? He was appreciative of Raven for being able to convince him to do this, even if in his heart he felt like it could be a bad idea. He stood up without a word and headed off towards Starfire's bedroom. Raven turned around in her chair and faced Beast Boy and Terra.

"Go pack, we're going on a trip." She announced.

Robin slowly made his way up to Starfire room and he knocked softly. She didn't respond, so Robin decided to let himself in the room. He opened the door slowly and peeked his head inside. Raven was right; she was crying. Starfire sat on the edge of the bed, hugging her knees to her chest and crying silently. When he came in the room, she turned her head away from him and he sighed.

"Starfire—"

"I do not want to hear it." She cut him off. "I understand it is important to defend the city, but this is important to me as well, and we shall not get another chance for one thousand, seven hundred and twenty nine years."

"Star, listen I decided—"

"You have made your feelings perfectly clear Robin, thank you very much. Will you leave me alone now; I do not feel like company."

"Star, we're going to Tamaran." Robin blurted out before she had a chance to interrupt again. "Raven's going to ask Bee and the Titans East to keep an eye on the city while we're gone. I . . . was hasty before. I should have realized how important this was to you."

Starfire finally turned to face him, her arms loosened their grip on her knees and her legs fell down onto the bed. She raised one red eyebrow and stared at his suspiciously. "You are certain?"

"Positive. Speedy and the others can handle the new villain. Even superheroes need some time to ourselves, right?" Robin smiled.

Starfire's bad mood seemed to dissolve. She was easy to please, and Robin knew it. She flew from the bed and wrapped her arms around him. While it did cut off his oxygen for a few seconds, Robin enjoyed the hug. She broke away and he pushed a strand of thick red hair away from her eye, tucking it behind her ear.

"Get packed, okay? This ceremony is important to you, so we'll go through with it."

Starfire's stomach did a painful back flip. She had been interrupted by the siren before, and hadn't been able to explain the exact type of ceremony this was. She nibbled on her lip and opened her mouth to speak, but her words never made it out. Robin saw the way she fidgeted and he kissed her deeply on the mouth in an attempt to calm her nerves. It worked, since she melted into his kiss and fell into his arms.

_I will tell him later._ She decided, thinking that right now she wanted only to deepen the kiss, and not spoil the moment with words. Therefore, she did deepen the kiss, and she wrapped her arms around his back. It was at that moment the door opened, though neither of them notice it, being much too preoccupied with the dance their tongues were doing in their mouths.

"I think they got over their problem Ravie." Terra's voice filled the room and Robin and Starfire broke apart like two polar opposite magnets. The two were sweaty, blushing and both turned to see Terra and Raven at the door.

"You're a master of the obvious Terra. Oh, and _don't_ call me Ravie ever again." Raven replied in her usual fashion.

"Did you find something?" Robin asked, trying to change the subject.

"I think we found two teenagers who are very horn—" Terra started to say, but Raven cut her off.

"That's enough Terra." Raven rolled her eyes. "We couldn't find anything on the computer about that woman. Whoever she is, she's a fresh face. But I did get in touch with the Titans East; they're willing to watch the city, but Bee wants to come with us."

"What?" Robin was surprised.

"She says she and Cyborg need some quality time." Terra explained. "If you ask me, I think she knows Cyborg's still seeing Jinx on the side and she's trying to get him all to herself."

Robin shook his head. It was no secret in the tower that Cyborg had been seeing both Bee and Jinx on and off over the last two years. They were all waiting for the day one of them found out about it and he got in huge trouble with both of them, but so far, that day hadn't come.

"It's alright with me if she wants to come along." Robin replied.

"Good. Then it's all settled. Cyborg says we can leave tomorrow morning; he had to make some repairs to the T-Ship first."

Starfire smiled. "We are really to do this?"

"Yeah, we are." Raven replied with a small grin on her face. "Now beat it you two, Starfire and I need to have some girl talk." She added, shooing Robin and Terra towards the door.

"Hey-a! I'm a girl too!" Terra whined.

"Yeah, well . . . okay, so I don't have an excuse to get rid of you, but you're leaving anyway." Raven responded, she shoved them both out the door and closed it behind them. Then she turned to Starfire.

"What is it friend Raven?"

"You didn't tell Robin what this 'ceremony' is all about, did you?" Raven asked.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"I can read minds, remember?"

Starfire paused. She didn't quite know how to answer that. At length, she finally replied. "I tried to, but then Plasmus attacked and . . . I am unsure how I should tell him."

"Well, I'm sure you'll think of something; but don't wait to tell him till last minute, or you'll have a problem on your hands." Raven warned her friend. "I've got to go; Beast Boy's cooking dinner and I've got to make sure he doesn't make tofu." She paused at the doorway. "Relax Star, he'll say yes, but you really should tell him first."

With that, Raven left, leaving Starfire alone to think.

**

* * *

**

"What's this about a new plan?"

At Slade's old base beneath Jump City, that had recently been restored when Slade and Rose returned to town, the father and daughter team sat around a long black marble table. Rose was impatiently tapping her fingers on the desk.

"The Titans will be going to a planet called Tamaran." Slade explained to his daughter. "When they go, we shall follow them."

Rose's eyes widened a bit. "Your son died on Tamaran, didn't he?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, Grant – the first Ravager – did die on Tamaran." Slade replied. He was aware of how she referred to her predecessor as 'Slade's son'. She never once in two years of training called him her brother; because in her mind Grant and Joseph were not her siblings. She was the daughter of Slade Wilson and 'Sweet' Lilith; Slade's other children did not matter to her at all. "You won't be repeating his mistake, will you?" Slade asked harshly.

"Of course not." Rose replied with a smirk dancing on her black cherry lips. "Just wait, we'll tear those Titans to pieces."

"You did well tonight Rose. You were a better opponent to them than I expected. I'm proud of you." Slade said from out of nowhere. Then he smirked and leaned back in his chair. "But you will have to improve even more once we reach Tamaran."

"I will; I will destroy them all." Rose responded, clenching her fist in determination.

Slade was proud of his daughter. It was amazing how a few drugs and two years of training had morphed the sweet girl into a heartless killing machine.

Like father, like daughter.

**

* * *

**

Meanwhile, far away on Tamaran, King Myand'r and Queen Luand'r, along with Galfore, all sat in the throne room. They had sent word to Starfire a few days ago, and they were still waiting for her response; although Galfore could already guess what Koriand'r would say.

What he could not guess was that the Dark Ones and their Empire were on their way to Tamaran. The evil invaders had found the planet and been studying the warrior race for a year and a half. Like they always did when they came to a new planet, the seven Dark Ones looked for a native of that planet to betray their people and help them conquer the world.

Each of the Seven Dark Ones was a different master from a different planet that belonged to the empire. If the traitor to Tamaran did well, they would become the eighth Dark One. At first they had a hard time finding a Tamaranian who would betray their species, and had to kill several of the ones they offered the job too.

Then they found one.

"Why are we waiting on the attack?"

The Seven Dark Ones stood in their chamber. Each of them stood on a magical sigil on the floor in a round, dark room. Each of the Seven Dark Ones wore full-body cloaks and hoods to hide their identity. The leader was speaking to the young woman who knelt before them in the middle of the room.

The leader of the Dark Ones spoke again. "What is it your are waiting for, General?"

"Relax." The General, the Tamaranian Traitor, replied with a smirk. She pushed her dark hair back and looked up at the leader. "It's almost time for a Tamaranian Ritual to be held; and I just know my dear little sister will be attending it."

Blackfire smirked cruelly at the idea. Attacking her homework and destroying her people – murdering her parents – it was all a very sweet idea; but it would be so much better to wait for Starfire.

"We have a schedule, General Blackfire." The leader of the Dark Ones hissed. "Your personal revenge is not of our concern."

Blackfire gasped. How did he know? She cursed at his mind reading abilities. "But sire, it's not just me who has an annoying sister on her way to Tamaran, unless I'm very much mistaken." She grinned, knowing more about her master than her master realized.

The leader of the Dark Ones laughed. "You think I would avenge my father? I never even knew him."

"Forget avenging your father; I figured you'd just want to kill her for the hell of it." Blackfire shrugged. "But if not, we can always attack Tamaran now –"

"No." The Dark One replied. "We will wait. You are an intelligent one, General Blackfire. That is why we have given you control of our armies. You know perfectly well I do want to kill her merely because she is who she is; but do not think for a minute that you are manipulating my hand."

"I'd never dream of it, master." Blackfire replied in all honesty.

"Good." The leader of the dark ones replied. Of all the dark ones, he was the leader for the pure and simple reason that he was the strongest of them all. That wasn't surprising, considering his father had been Trigon the Terrible.

**

* * *

**


	40. Bad Luck In Deep Space

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Forty**

"Bad Luck In Deep Space"

**A/N:** Forty chapters and over four hundred reviews. OMG. Awesome.  
I love you guys. I really do. I hate to get all emotional and sappy, but it's true. Anyway . . . onto the next chapter, which is dedicated to: **BD402**. This chapter is slightly shorter than normally; this is because I've been really busy lately and had less time to write than I would have liked.

**

* * *

**

Jinx was angry.

Jinx had arrived at Titan's Tower looking for Cyborg. She had never before gone to the Tower to look for him, but Gizmo, who had been trying to get Jinx to rejoin the HIVE Five for months, had shown her some photographs of Cyborg and Bumblebee on what appeared to be a date. Now Jinx wasn't here to find her so-called boyfriend; she was here to punish him. However, upon arrival she found a note on the door stating that the Titans had gone to Tamaran temporarily. The sorceress was fuming with anger.

"I'm going to teach him. Nobody two-times Jinx." She muttered to herself. She approached the garage door, which was undoubtedly locked. She waved her hand over the door and the pink beams jumped from her fingertips into the steel frame of the door. Then she gave it one good judo kick; and the door fell down. Smirking, she entered the dark garage and flicked on a light. There she saw the T-Car sitting in all its gleaming glory.

"This'll teach you to mess around with that whore." Jinx muttered. She waved her hands around the car and the bad luck kicked in. The tires flattened, the headlights exploded, and the windows cracked. She knew Cyborg would be angry, but she did not care. **She** was angry with him.

Jinx suddenly heard the sound of footsteps outside. She quickly dove into the shadows to hide. Could it be the Titans? Maybe they hadn't left yet? Oh, Cyborg would kill her. Sure, she was angry and she wanted him punished; but she didn't want him to know it was her who destroyed his beloved car.

Two figures walked into the garage. One was a woman she did not recognized, but the other was Slade, and she knew him right away. She did a double take, since she had assumed he was dead, but was able to keep herself from gasping in surprise.

"Why are we here father?" Rose asked as she looked around the garage.

"Borrowing a ship." Slade replied. "We have to get to Tamaran; and the Titans happen to have a fine space cruiser."

Jinx's eyebrow rose a few inches. Slade was alive, and he was following the Titans? Now that sounded interesting. She smirked with devil-like glee at the idea of the Titans being defeat by their own spaceship. And she knew Cyborg deserved it, after what he'd done to her . . . but at the same time, she also realized she couldn't allow this to happen. After all, the HIVE Five had abandoned her; all she had left now was Cyborg. As mad as she was, she could not let him be killed. Then she would have nothing at all. That is when a great idea came to her.

Oh yes, this would be fun.

**

* * *

**

"Now this is a nice ride, Sparky."

The Titans were inside the same Tamaranian Spaceship that Shady had arrived in two years ago, the night before their fateful trip to Starfire's home world. Cyborg had been allowed to keep the ship as a gift from Myand'r and Luand'r, and he had been ecstatic about it. Over the past two years, he had made several modifications and adjustments to it, and he had spruced the side of the silver ship up with a blue stripe like the blue on his own body. Right now Cyborg and Bumblebee occupied the control room of the ship. The Tamaranian instruments were still in place, but he had installed his own control panel that he understood how to navigate. Cyborg sat behind the controls, flying the ship himself in his big Captain's chair. Bumblebee sat beside him and was spinning around in her fullback swivel chair, enjoying herself thoroughly.

She had shown up in Jump just as the Titans were preparing for their journey. She had been upset, coming to talk to Cyborg regarding a very curious rumor that had reached her ears. Aqualad had apparently been in Jump recently and he had spotted Cyborg hanging out with Jinx – and of course, he reported this back to Bee right away. Bee had been ready to tear Sparky a new plug, but the second she showed up he invited her to go on a romantic trip to another planet and she had decided to sit on what she'd heard; at least until Cyborg managed to do something stupid and piss her off.

Elsewhere on the ship, Raven was sitting at the bar in the kitchen. She looked around the tiny room, memories flooding her head as she sat on the red and gold barstool. It was two years ago, in this same kitchen, which she and Beast Boy had kissed for the first time. She had kissed him, she remembered. That night had been filled with awkward moments and near-death experiences with shoe-worms. Raven shuddered a bit and used her psychic powers to make sure she was alone in the room. She could not sense any other lifeforms. She knew that the ship had been on Earth, in the Titan's garage for two years ever since it had been given to Cyborg as a gift from Starfire's parents; but she couldn't rid the memories of the ten foot pink snakes that had almost killed them all once before.

Then Raven's psychic powers kicked in and she felt a life form approaching the other side of the kitchen door. Although whoever it was, she knew it was one of her friends. The signature in her mind was too big to be a shoe-worm; unless this one was even bigger than the previous ones.

The door opened and Beast Boy entered the kitchen. She relaxed, seeing it was only him.

"Where have you been?" She asked him as she swiveled around on the bar stool to face him.

"Looking for something to do. Space-travel is boring." The green teen complained as he sat down on the stool next to Raven. "Cyborg's being all show-off-y to Bee and won't play Gamestation with me."

As one of his modification to the Tamaranian ship in the last two years, Cyborg had installed a Gamestation for his and Beast Boy's uses.

"So ask Robin." Raven wisely replied.

"I would dude, but he and Star are locked away in one of the rooms talking." Beast Boy responded.

"Talking about what?" Raven asked, letting her curiosity get the best of her.

"No clue."

"Oh please, like you weren't outside the door with your ear pressed against the keyhole." Raven rolled her eyes.

"You honestly think I would try to eavesdrop on my friends?" Beast Boy acted as if he was hurt by the accusation, but Raven knew better.

"Terra beat you to it?" Raven asked, but she knew the answer.

"Yeah." Beast Boy admitted when he was caught in his obvious lie. "Ah well, this way works out better for me. Terra will still tell me all the details, and this way, if Robin catches her, I won't get in trouble." Beast Boy grinned.

"Well aren't you just the little evil genius?" Raven's sarcasm didn't take a back seat to anyone. She let out a small yawn and then she flicked her hand. The refrigerator door opened and a pair of soda cans floated out and sat themselves down in front of the two before the door closed again.

"Dude, thanks Rae." Beast Boy grinned. She nodded her head, knowing him well enough to know she did not have to ask if he wanted one or not.

Outside the door and down the hall, Terra was indeed down on bended knee pressing her ear against the door of the room Robin and Starfire had occupied. She was trying her best to hear bits and pieces of the conversation.

Inside the room, things were a very different mood than the rest of the ship. Robin and Starfire were sitting on the edge of Starfire's bed, speaking quietly. Starfire had called Robin into her room and informed him that she wanted to speak to him, but now that he was here, she could not find the right words to tell him what she knew she needed to tell him before they landed. If they arrived on Tamaran and Robin learned the details of the ceremony for the first time from her parents, it would be disastrous. She had to be honest and upfront with him, just like Raven had advised her to be; but she did not know where to begin.

Therefore, for the better part of an hour, they had just sat in silence. Robin had a hand on her back, rubbing her shoulders softly, but he was not speaking to her. He had learned from experience and from living with Batman that sometimes people just needed their own space and they needed to do things at their own pace. While truth be told, he was very curious as to what she wanted to talk to him about, he wasn't ready to push it out of her. God knows Robin could get answers out of people if he wanted them badly enough, but he was not about to force Starfire to tell him anything. If she wanted too, she would; it was that simple.

"Robin?" Starfire whispered his name quietly. She was hunched over and looking down at her shoes. Robin rubbed her back reassuringly.

"Yes?"

"You love me, don't you?"

"That's a silly question Starfire. You _know_ I do."

"And that is never to change?"

"That's an even sillier question."

"Robin it is just . . ." Starfire stalled.

"Just what, Star?"

"The ceremony is a big step." Starfire mumbled. "And while it is something I do want, I did not expect it to come so soon."

"What's this whole ceremony about, anyway?" Robin asked in a clever attempt to get some answers from her. Perhaps by talking about the ceremony itself, it would give him some clue as to what her problem was.

"Long ago, Legend tells of Gandrake the Great. He was a Tamaranian Warchief. This was back before the planet was united under one king. In those days many different Kings fought for control of Tamaran. Gandrake was the greatest of them all, that is why them mountain the ceremony takes place on is named after him. Anyway, according to Legend Gandrake fell in love with a beautiful warrior and she claimed to love him as well."

"Claimed?" Robin echoed. "She didn't?"

"Oh no. She only said it so that he would marry her and make her queen. Then she tried to poison him, but he found out about it and had her beheaded." Starfire replied.

"Gee, so far this ceremony sounds like great fun." Robin replied in a sarcastic fashion that could have put even Raven to shame.

"The Legend continues. It said that Gandrake then fell in love with another woman, and he married her to replace the queen who had tried to kill him."

"Did she try to kill him too?" Robin asked.

"No, but the day after their wedding he found her in bed with his brother." Starfire replied. "He had her executed as well."

"This is really depressing Starfire." Robin admitted.

"That is how Gandrake felt. Finally, one day after a battle he met another woman. She was different than his first two wives. She was perfect for him, and unlike them, she truly did love him for who he was, and not because he was Gandrake the Great. By now, Gandrake was so suspicious that he refused to marry her, even though they fell in love. So to prove that she loved him, she climbed the tallest mountain in Tamaran. Of course, my people can fly, but she was so heartbroken from Gandrake's rejection that she lost her powers."

Robin had experienced something like that before with Starfire, and understood how Tamaranian abilities were driven by emotion.

"Gandrake realized she was climbing the most dangerous mountain on my planet because of him, and he felt horrible that an innocent woman would be in danger due to his reject. He set out to find her, but he too lost his ability to fly because of his sadness. When he finally reached the top of the mountain, he found her sitting at the top looking up at the moonlight. He asked her why she climbed the mountain, and she said it was to show him that she loved him. The two fell in love and got married on that very spot, just as the moon aligned with the planets. Gandrake and the woman became the first reigning King and Queen of the entire planet, and they stayed in love until the day they both died." Starfire concluded the story, or so it seemed.

"Well, that's certainly a happier ending Star; but what does it have to do with us?" Robin asked her.

"It is said that Gandrake blessed the mountain, so that anyone married beneath the moonlight when the planets align will be blessed with eternal luck, happiness and love. The planets only align once even one thousand seven hundred and ninety three years. So it is not something that can wait and though I know this is not something we spoken of I had thought that it was our only chance because we will not be alive the next time and I am sorry to spring this on you like this but it is the only thing I could do and Raven said I should explain so I am explaining and –"

"Starfire." She often got carried away when speaking in a hurry like she was, and he had barely even caught half of that. She paused when he said her name and shut her mouth, looking down at her shoes once again.

The wheels in Robin's head were clicking and turning and he had to process this carefully. That story, did it mean . . .?

"So . . . wait. We're going to Tamaran to get . . . married?" Robin asked.

"Mmmhmm."

"Ah . . . oh." Robin replied, genuinely speechless.

"If you do not want too we can go back, I should not have –"

"No Star, it's not that." Robin interrupted her immediately. "I do want too, I just didn't expect this." He paused for a minute, thinking about what he had just said. Well, it was the truth. He had not expected this, not in a million years, but oddly enough, he did not mind. How could he?

Starfire opened her mouth to say something, but at that moment, the entire ship shook from an impact and Robin went falling right off the bed and landed on the floor. Starfire fell forward and landed on the bed, and Terra wound up flying right through the door and tumbling until she hit a chair.

"Ouch!" Terra complained as she rubbed a red mark on her head.

"Serves you right for eavesdropping." Robin snapped as he climbed back to his feet. "What was that impact?"

The ship shook again, Robin fell backwards; but this time Starfire caught him with an outstretched arm and kept him from hitting the ground. Suddenly Cyborg's voice filled the entire room as he spoke over the intercom.

"Everyone get to the cockpit; NOW!"

Robin, Starfire and Terra quickly exited the room and ran down the hall, on the way they meet up with Beast Boy and Raven. Beast Boy had soda in his hair and on the front of his shirt and had obviously been drinking a can of pop when the last impact came. Once the group of five reached the cockpit, they found Cyborg sitting at the controls, maneuvering the ship in a hard turn. Bumblebee nodded for them to come over.

"We've got company." She informed them, pointing at the ships radar consul. It showed several small red dots closing in on the large blue dot that was their ship. Beast Boy sighed.

"Dude, does there always have to be somebody trying to kill us?" He asked sadly.

"Looks like it." Raven replied.

"Can you outrun them?" Robin asked, ignoring the chitchat and running to Cyborg's side.

"Not a chance. They can outrun _and_ outgun us." Cyborg let out a nervous chuckle. "I wanted to make good time to Tamaran, so I transferred power from the ships defensive systems to its engine for extra speed."

"So we don't have any way to shoot them down?" Terra cried out in horror.

"Basically." Cyborg sweatdropped. "But we're making awesome time."

"There has to be something we can do." Robin announced.

"There's a spacesuit in the back." Cyborg remembered. "But there's only one; and the oxygen tank isn't full."

"So . . . what are you saying? One of us can go walk on the outside of the ship, using limited oxygen, and fight these things?" Beast Boy blinked.

"Yep, that's 'bout it." Cyborg nibbled on his lip nervously. "Question is, who?"

"Not much of a question." Raven replied. "Terra's powers are useless in outer space, Beast Boy and Starfire couldn't do anything inside a spacesuit, Robin won't have access to his belt, and we need you to drive. That only leaves me and Bee, and of the two of us I'm a better fighter."

"Excuse me?" Bumblebee seemed insulted by this.

"Please. You shoot lightning from a small golden B; I'm a demon." Raven pointed out. Then she headed towards the spacesuit hanging on the wall, but Beast Boy stood in front of her.

"Dude, you can't just—"

At that moment the ship was hit with another laser and Beast Boy fell over onto his side. Raven didn't waste time. Instead of getting dressed manually, she simply floated into the spacesuit and used her powers to merge inside of it.

"No time for an argument Beast Boy." She floated up towards the ceiling of the ship and phased through it using her powers. Starfire headed towards the door; but Robin stopped her.

"Where are you going?"

"My species can survive in space. I have before." Starfire truthfully pointed out. She could live in outer space, and had done so before on different occasions. "Raven will need my help."

Robin sighed and stepped out of her way. Starfire opened the door and stepped into a small room between the ship and the outside. She closed the hatch behind her, and then opened the second door that led to the outside of the ship. She flew out, her hands turning green, and she flew up to the roof where Raven, in the spacesuit, was waiting.

"There are twelve of them." Raven informed the Tamaranian. Starfire looked out towards the tail end of the ship and she could see several smaller spaceships flying towards them. They were shaped like H's. "You take them out, I'll use my powers to shield the ship."

Starfire nodded and flew towards the oncoming ships, her hands powering up with the familiar green glow. Starfire hurled a barrage of starbolts at the enemy ships, but they avoided them all. The next thing she knew, one of the H-shaped cruises was on either side of her. She flew upwards and hurled Starbolts to the one of her right. She hit it and it exploded; but the one on her left used that opportunity to zap her with a blue beam that electrocuted her.

Starfire screamed and passed out. Raven quickly used her powers to take a hold of Starfire's unconscious body and hoist her back to the ship. The H-shaped cruiser that had zapped Starfire began firing red laser beams at the Titan's ship, but Raven blocked them all with her powers. Once Starfire was on the surface of the ship, Raven used her mental abilities to phase the redhead through the roof and her unconscious form landed on the ground in the cockpit. Robin quickly scooped her up in his arms and muttered some very rude words about their enemy.

Raven did not have time to communicate with her fellow Titans inside the ship. She slashed the air with her right arm and a stream of black psychic energy cut through one of the H-shaped ships like a hot knife going through a baked potato. The ship was severed in two and exploded.

Several lasers hit the surface of the ship around Raven from behind her and she had to act fast to put up a bubble of black energy around the ship and herself. The lasers ricocheted off the dome and bounced back onto the ship that had fired them and one right next to it; both of them exploded and illuminated the black of space with bright yellow flames. Four of their enemies had been taken out, but eight remained.

It was at that moment another H-shaped ship approached the Tamaranian cruiser the Titans were in; and it fired its lasers. Raven whipped around in time to block them with her shield, but the impact was close and the ship was damaged partially. Over her communicator, she could hear Cyborg screaming about her being more careful, but she ignored him. The H-shaped ship was coming back for a second pass. Raven readied her energies, but before she had a chance to attack a bright laser beam, this one green, sailed right through the ship and destroyed it.

Raven stared wide-eyed, as the Titans own spaceship flew by and shot down two more of the H-shaped ships. She shook her head. This didn't make any sense. How could their ship be out here in space with them when none of them were flying it? It didn't seem to matter, though, since their ship was saving them.

Back in the cockpit below her, Cyborg's mouth had fallen open.

"What the hell? How did my ship get up here?" He asked himself.

"Why don't you call the ship and see?" Bee suggested. "Maybe Speedy followed us."

Cyborg nodded and punched a few buttons on the control port. A television screen on the dashboard flickered on, and Slade's face appeared on the other side.

"Ah, fancy running into you here." Slade's sardonically said.

The Titans all seemed to freeze as if it were a bad dream. Robin's eyes were as wide as potatoes, and Beast Boy's jaw fell to the floor. Cyborg was the first to recover as anger pulsated through his body.

"What the hell are you doing in MY ship?" Cyborg screamed.

"Saving YOUR ass." Slade replied simply; outside the ship's window, they saw the T-ship fly by and destroy another of the H-shaped enemies.

"Why?" Robin demanded in the rigid voice he reserved for his conversations with Slade.

"Do you really think I'd let someone _else_ kill you?" Slade answered in all honesty.

"So you're saving us from these dudes so you can kill us yourself?" Beast Boy blinked.

"Does it surprise you?" Slade asked.

"Naw."

"Wait one damn second!" Cyborg shouted. "You're supposed to be dead! How did you survive? AND HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET MY SHIP?"

"You left your garage door open." Slade replied. He shot down two more of the enemy ships in the air, and then he grinned sadistically. All of the H-shaped ships had either been destroyed, or had retreated. "Ah, now for the fun part."

Slade's ship – the T-ship – flew up directly behind the Tamaranian cruiser. Robin gritted his teeth as he looked from the screen where Slade's mocking mask was staring at them, to his arm where he held the unconscious Starfire. They were in a bad situation. Raven's spiritual shields would only be able to hold for so long.

"Farewell Titans!" Slade called. Just at the second, the T-ship split apart into five sections. Slade, bewildered, cried out in surprise. "What the hell?"

Two of the sections floated randomly in space with no one flying them. The main cockpit, which Slade was in, continued on the Titans's tail, as did the right wing where Rose had been riding silently. The left wing, however, flew behind Slade and Rose's portions and opened fire on them.

"Father, what's going on?" Rose shouted over the transmissions. The Titans could not see her on their screen, but as they were tuned into the frequency, they could hear her.

The laser blasts from the left wing hit Rose's right wing and she screamed over the transmission before her line went dead. Rose's ship fell out of sight, spiraling through space. Slade swore loudly, shut off his transmission line with the Titans, and flew after his daughter's ship. The left wing flew up onto the Titans's tail. Cyborg tried to establish contact with the ship.

"Hey, thanks a lot for the save back there budd-" Cyborg's words were cut short when a laser blast hit the Tamaranian vessel; fired from the left wing.

"Don't thank me yet you back-stabbing bastard." Jinx's face appeared on the small television screen and Cyborg paled considerably, a bead of sweat running down the back of his neck.

"J-J-Jinx. Hi." Cyborg could feel Bumblebee's eyes boring into the back of his head, and he made a conscious effort not to look at her, for fear that the anger on her face would be so great it would melt him.

Jinx shot at the Titans once again. "Don't _hi_ me. You've got three seconds to tell me why I shouldn't blow your two-timing ass up."

"Dude; you'd kill us all just cause your mad at Cyborg?" Beast Boy asked astonished.

"Duh." Jinx replied.

"Sparky, why do I suddenly have the urge to slap you?" Bee asked him, apparently oblivious to the fact they could all be killed at any moment.

"Err . . . listen . . . girls; can we talk about this after we land?" Cyborg asked.

"No." Both Jinx and Bee responded in a hostile fashion.

Suddenly Jinx vanished from the television screen, and behind them, the left wing of the T-ship stopped moving. Cyborg, and all the rest of the Titans, blinked in confusion. A moment later Raven floated in through the ceiling with a gigantic black ball of light behind her. The ball was shaking and vibrating, and it was clear to all there that the demon girl had captured Jinx.

Raven said nothing to anyone, she floated out of the cockpit and down to the hallway closet, which she shoved the ball of light into and then locked the door. Then she floated back into the cockpit and over to Cyborg; she slapped him across the face.

"Oww, hey, what was that f—"

"That was for your hormones almost getting us killed." Raven cut him off. She then flew over to the edge of the room and removed the spacesuit, hanging it back on the wall. As she did so, Bumblebee smacked Cyborg in the back of his head.

"Ouch!"

"Shut up Sparky." Bee flew out of the room, down the hall, and locked herself in the kitchen.

"Dude, you're soooooo busted." Beast Boy grinned as he sat down in the now vacate co-pilot seat Bee had gotten out of.

"Oh shut up." Cyborg snapped, and then he hit Beast Boy in the arm.

"Right now we have a bigger problem than Cyborg's love life." Robin interrupted all of the arguments.

"Yeah. Slade." Raven announced correctly as she returned from the corner of the room, once again dressed in her usual cape. "Anyone know how that guy keeps coming back?"

"I gave up trying to figure that out years ago." Terra replied. She was leaning against the wall with a tired look on her face.

"How about we figure out who was with him?" Robin, after forcing Beast Boy to give up the seat, set Starfire's unconscious form down in the co-pilots chair. He stared at her for a moment before returning his attention to the rest of the group.

"You're right. Somebody was flying that second ship." Raven let out a small sigh. "And I'll bet Jinx knows who it was."

Without another word, Robin slipped out of the room and headed towards the closet they had locked Jinx in. Beast Boy turned to Cyborg while he was gone.

"Dude, didn't I tell you this was going to happen if you kept dating both of them?" The green teen asked.

"Yeah." Cyborg sighed.

"And did you listen to me?"

"No, but hey, can you blame me? I mean, taking dating advice from you makes about as much sense as making Slade a kindergarten teacher." Cyborg defended his choice.

"Dude. That hurts. I know a lot about dating!" Beast Boy retorted.

"Oh really? Since I've known you you've asked out at least two hundred girls; and only two of them ever said yes." Cyborg replied.

Beast Boy sweatdropped and scratched his neck nervously. "Well . . . yeah, but, dude, that's better than you."

"No. I've had three lady friends; and all of them liked me. Three for three is a lot better than two for two hundred."

"Yeah, but Beast Boy didn't date his two _at the same time_." Raven pointed out. "That's the difference."

"Aw, what do any of y'all know?" Cyborg muttered.

The door opened and Robin returned; Jinx was with him. She was out of the black bubble, but now her hands were bound with a pair of Robin's handcuffs.

"What do you want?" Jinx demanded. "I liked it better in the closet."

"Listen, Jinx, who else was in my ship with you?" Cyborg asked nicely.

"Screw you sparkplug." Jinx spat at him. "You're lucky my hands are tied up or I'd redefine 'unlucky' on your ass."

"She's a bright ray of sunshine, huh?" Terra's always-inappropriate humor kicked it, as it usually did, at the worst possible time.

"Jinx, you had better start spilling the beans." Robin demanded, stepping in front of her with his eyes narrowed and genuine fury in his voice. It was enough to make Jinx pause. Robin's mind and heart were both with the unconscious Starfire right now. His patients were worn very thin, and he was not in the mood for her stupid games or Cyborg's romantic problems. This was the dangerous Robin who had been known to do rash things without thinking of the consequences. Jinx did not know of those things, but she could feel the serious tone in his voice cut into her skin like fire.

"I don't know who she was. She was someone in a purple costume, with a sword on her belt. She called him 'father', though, back in your garage." Jinx decided to answer them truthfully, and deal with her anger towards Cyborg at another time, when she was not handcuffed to a chair.

"_Father_?" Robin repeated flabbergasted.

"Wouldn't surprise me." Raven shook her head. "He had a son, remember? He came after us the last time we were on Tamaran."

"Rose." Terra whispered. They all turned to look at her.

"You know her?" Beast Boy asked.

"No. I've never met her . . . but I remember . . ." Terra's voice became a little shaky and she looked down at her shoes. "I remember back when I was with Slade. One night it was late. I woke up in the middle of the night and went looking for him. Well, I got to his control room, and he wasn't there. But his computer was still on. There was a girl on the screen. He was watching her secretly. I read on his computer that she was called Rose Wilson. She was his daughter. But I couldn't read much more about it, because I heard footsteps and high-tailed it back to bed."

"Slade has a daughter?" Beast Boy shook his head.

"A purple outfit and a sword . . . the woman from the chemical factory!" Robin concluded.

"What? You mean that crazy chick with Plasmus?" Beast Boy's eyes widened. "Dude, yeah, that makes sense."

"It doesn't matter right now." Robin decided, leaning against the wall. "There's nothing we can do about Slade or his daughter at the moment, so we're just going to have to wait. Right now let's just focus on getting to Tamaran in one piece." Robin then glanced over to Cyborg. "I need to talk to you in the other room."

Cyborg sweatdropped and tried to think of an excuse. "I'm flying the ship, man."

"There's an autopilot." Robin reminded him.

"Well, yeah, but what if something else attacks us?"

"Then Beast Boy will come and get you. This can't wait." Robin warned his friend in a grave voice. Cyborg could already guess what the conversation would be about. Sighing, he stood up from his captain's chair, which Beast Boy quickly invaded, and he switched on the autopilot. Then he followed Robin out of the room wordlessly. They walked down the hall in silence until they reached the empty dining hall. Robin walked in, waited for Cyborg to take a seat at the table, and then closed the door behind them.

"Cyborg, you have to do something about –"

"Jinx and Bee? Yeah I know." Cyborg sighed and set his head down in his hand. "Believe me Robin, I know how bad I screwed up."

"_Do_ you?" Robin asked harshly. "Look, I looked the other way before when it was all harmless; but now that it's interfering in the Titans's business, I have to step in Cyborg. We need Bumblebee's and the Titans East's cooperation; and at the same time, it's been really nice not to have to deal with Jinx trying to kill us."

"I know, I know, but it isn't so clear cut." Cyborg responded with a sigh. "I'm not just playin' them Rob, I really like them. Both of them. Maybe that sounds wrong, and hell, maybe it is wrong; but I can't help the way I feel."

Robin shook his head. "I realize it can't be easy being in your situation Cyborg; but you can only be with one of them, and you know it. I'm not going to tell you who to choose, or how to choose; because frankly no one can make those decisions but you – but the point is you **do** have to choose, and you have to deal with whatever consequences that choice brings."

Cyborg nodded. "I hear you."

"And you're going to have to talk to Jinx. It's too late to take her back to Earth, so you either have to convince her to behave herself on Tamaran, or I'm going to have to ask Raven to contain her for the time."

"Okay man. I'll handle it."

Robin nodded and left the room, leaving Cyborg alone to think about the mess he had made.

**

* * *

**

Above the planet Tamaran, the Dark One's ultimate battleship was poised, paused in space just outside the atmosphere of the planet. Due to advanced weaponry, the ship was cloaked and invisible; unable to be detected by the eye or by technology. The Seven Dark Ones were having a meeting with their general, Blackfire.

"My Lords, I have a plan to conquer Tamaran, but it will take some patience on your parts." Blackfire informed her masters.

"Tell us." One of the Dark Ones demanded in a hissing voice.

"It's quite simple, actually." Blackfire smirked. "You see, my sister, the princess, is coming home for an old Tamaranian ceremony. While they prepare for this ceremony, the Royal Family will be off guard. As I've already told you, a head's on invasion of my planet would be suicidal on our part, since my parents have a very powerful machine. If we get any closer to Tamaran than we are now, it will detect us, and the entire army will be dispatched to defeat us."

"Do you believe the army could defeat us?" One of the Dark Ones asked.

"Since the army consist of nearly everyone on the planet; yes. Don't forget, my people are a warrior race, they live for war. We'd be outnumbered and overpowered. And after an incident two years ago when a man called Slade attacked my planet in stealth, they built a powerful machine able to detect any unauthorized access to the planet; even by cloaked ships."

"Then how do we get there?" The leader of the Dark Ones inquired, his voice filled with a cold chill.

"Simple. While they're all busy preparing for my sister's ceremony, my spy on the planet will deactivate the machine. Then you can land your ships in the deserts. The sandstorms will provide you the perfect cover. No one will be the wiser. You can amass your armies in the cover of the sandstorm, and then attack when my people are vulnerable."

"Excellent." One of the Dark Ones responded. "Well done, General Blackfire."

"Hey, no problem. I never liked my planet anyway." Blackfire grinned. "But don't forget our deal; when it comes time to deal with my sister, you all back off. She's mine."

"I do not forget deals I make, nor would I break my word." The leader of the Dark Ones growled. "But do not forget _your_ promise, either. Raven must die. Be it by my armies, or by your hands; I do not care. As long as she dies."

"Oh she'll die. They all will." Blackfire grinned. "Thanks to the 'gift' you gave me."

Blackfire's wicked grin only widened further at the thought of her gift. Before, Blackfire had been lucky. She was one of only two Tamaranians able to produce "starbolts". Only she and her sister had this unique ability, making them truly the strongest of their people. Now, however, she had a new ability that made starbolts look pathetic by comparison. Making a deal with an intergalactic demon was the best thing she'd ever done; especially since she knew she now had the power to kill Starfire and the rest of the Teen Titans.

**

* * *

**


	41. The Dark Ones

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Forty-One**

"The Dark Ones"

**A/N:** This chapter is dedicated to **Jam**. Jam is a old, dear friend of mine from way back when. Actually, I owe a lot to Jam. You see, it was in a RP created by Jam that I first played Robin; back before I ever watched Teen Titans. That RP is what inspired me to watch Teen Titans, and ever since . . . well, I think you know the rest. - So a big thanks to Jam, for reading this, and I'll dedicate this chapter to you.

http/s12. // s12. invisionfree . com / sonicthehedgehog / index . php ? showtopic 162

Remove the spaces and go to that topic; you'll find the entire summary for all the new episodes of our favorite superhero show. Summaries include all the episodes: **Homecoming Part 1, Homecoming Part 2, Trust, For Real, Snowblind, Kole, Hide & Seek, Lightspeed, Revved Up, Go **(an episode about how the team was formed! YAY!)**, Calling All Titans, Titans Together** and the season finale, **Things Change**.

Listen, the reason for the delay is this: I had to go to St. Louis for surgery. XX I was so stressed about it, that I just could not think straight to write. However, the doctors changed their mind, and no surgery for me; so now, I am back.

I may need surgery in 3-4 weeks, but I have to wait for the test results.

Also I'd like to offer my prayers and support to the victims of the hurricanes, and my hopes that Wilma isn't as bad as Katrina or Rita. If you or a loved one was effected by the hurricanes, know that I am praying for you, and wishing you the best.

**---- ---- ---- ---- ----**

The Tamaranian spaceship that the Titans had taken to Tamaran was now landing on the surface of the barren, warrior planet. Several Tamaranian guards were outside the square shaped castle to welcome the princess and her friends, and King Myand'r and Queen Luand'r, as well as Galfore, were also present and waiting at the end of a red carpet.

However, inside the ship things were not so good. Jinx was still causing quite a fuss, and she had already vowed to tear Cyborg's tongue out and feed it to the first alien creature she found on Tamaran. Bumblebee was equally upset with Cyborg, and refused to even look at him. The half-man, half-machine Titan was depressed and he knew he needed a way to calm the women down before he lost everything good in his life.

Though no one would believe him, Cyborg was not just a heartless player. He truly did have feelings for both Bumblebee and Jinx, and while he knew it was wrong to date both of them at once, he could not choose just one. On the one hand, he seriously did like Jinx, and added to that, if he dumped her she may resume her villain ways. However, on the other hand, he had feelings for Bumblebee, and if he broke it off with her, it could mean strife between the Titans and the Titans East. Robin, needless to say, was not happy, and he was pressuring his friend to do something fast.

Jinx herself was angry tremendously. She could not escape the closet, thanks to Raven's powers. While both Raven and Jinx had incredible powers, Raven was much stronger. Jinx was helpless, left alone in the closet to scream, curse, and threaten them all with death if she was not let out. Bumblebee, meanwhile, was fuming angry and if Cyborg even went near her she'd shout and curse at him.

Robin was not amused, but right now he had a bigger problem.

"I wish you had not come." Was the first thing King Myand'r said as his daughter and her friends exited the ship.

"Wow, warm welcoming." Terra said sarcastically, beating Raven to the chance to make a smart-ass comment.

"Father?" Starfire blinked. She had been flying towards him with a smile on her face to hug him, but now she stopped dead in mid-air and her face fell.

"As of late, the planet has been in a fierce war. It is not safe here." Myand'r told them sadly, and Robin groaned. Tamaran was in the middle of a war, Slade was back, and Jinx wanted them all dead. This was shaping up to be a series of misfortunes that would soon only get worse.

"Sir." Robin spoke up, he kept the same respect in his voice he always had when addressing Starfire's father, but there was a harsh, icy tone as well. "If you're in the middle of a war, isn't this a bad time for the ceremony?"

Myand'r froze in place, his face twisted into confusion and surprise. He lifted a great red eyebrow rose. "Ceremony? What ceremony?"

It was Robin's turn to freeze; and Starfire did the same. All of the titans seemed confused and Starfire quickly went to her father, her eyes full of bewilderment and shock.

"Father, what do you mean?" Starfire asked him at once. "You sent me a message . . ."

Myand'r tilted his head to the side. "I did no such thing. Koriand'r, my love, you are mistaken."

Starfire shook her head. "No! It had the royal crest on it!"

"Wait a second." Robin's detective mind, ace in all places, was clicking into action and a cold feeling washed over him like ice. "Starfire, didn't the message . . . didn't you see your father on it?"

Starfire shook her head. "No, it was not a hologram. However it did have the family crest on it, and only a member of the royal family could have sealed it with that crest!"

And all at once, Robin realized what was going on. It was not a far jump. If neither the King or Queen had sent it, nor Starfire had obviously not done it herself, which left only one royal Tamaranian left who could have sent that message. Robin was about to announced his shocking discovery, when there was an explosion from somewhere behind him. Robin jolted around, but a second later he felt a fist hit his face, and then he passed out, unconscious to the world . . .

**----**

When Robin woke up, he was in a dark, small space. He could feel moisture on his feet and all over his body. When his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he realized he was inside a narrow wooden room, with no windows, and a pool of water up to his ankles on the floor. At the far side of the room was a lit torch on the wall, and a door next to it. Robin stood up and started walking towards the door, but as he approached the stone steps at the bottom of the door, it opened and a hooded figure stepped inside.

"Hello Richard Grayson." The figure said in a low, deep voice. Robin could not see its face, but he saw its hands. They were like leather scales, and the fingers appeared black with long yellow nails. He knew right away that whatever this thing was, it was not a normal Tamaranian.

"Where am I? Where are my friends!" Robin demanded.

"You need not concern yourself with them." The creature replied. "You will never see them again."

Robin was not going to accept that. He reached down for his belt, to grab his bo-staff and but the creature spoke just as Robin's fingers clasped around the hilt of his staff.

"That is a bad idea." The creature said, and from beneath its hooded cloak, it took out a long, thin rod. Robin recognized it as a stick taser. He was also quick enough to realize that, being-soaking wet and standing in ankle-deep water, if that creature stunned him with the electrical stick taser it would knock him unconscious in a heartbeat, maybe even kill him.

"What do you want from me?" Robin asked the creature. "Who are you?"

"I am one of the Dark Ones." The creature replied. "And I want you to die."

Robin's eyes widened in horror; the creature jumped forward and slammed the electrical stick taser into the water. Robin jumped up and withdrew a rappelling hook from his belt, shooting it into the ceiling and then tying it to his belt. He put his feet on the wall, and stood on the wall. The Dark One laughed.

"Most excellent." Then the creature jumped up and reached one of its black hands out. It slashed the rope holding Robin above the water, and he fell towards the pool. The Dark One also fell towards the water, still holding the taser. Robin jumped and kicked off of the Dark One's back and landed on the stone steps near the door. The Dark One hit the water, and suddenly electricity blasted through it and the water lit up a bright blue color. The Dark One, however, stood up in the middle of the electrically charged pool and laughed.

"I am Rai the bolt; the electrical currents do not harm me." It hissed. Robin gulped as he took out his bo-staff and held it in front of him. He knew this was a bad situation. The electric stick taser was at the bottom of the pool, supercharging the water with massive electricity. If Robin touched it, he would die for sure – and his enemy seemed immune to the deadly voltage seeping through its skin. Robin had to stay on the steps, or he was dead.

"You will suffer!" Rai the Bolt screamed, running up the steps; but as he approached Robin heard the door behind him open, and he saw a starbolt of green color fly right beside his head and watched it hit Rai right in the face. Rai's hood fell off, and Robin saw a horrible creature that looked half-man, half-dinosaur.

Robin turned around to see Starfire standing at the open door. He grinned at her, and then turned back to Rai.

"Good timing Star." Robin whispered.

"Thanks." Starfire replied, a strange, foreign smile on her face. She jumped forward, over Robin, and landed on Rai's pointed face with both of her feet. Her boots smashed his face down and Rai fell against the wall. Starfire, floating above the deadly water, fired her eyebeams at Rai and he screamed and sank to the bottom of the pool. That's when Robin realized something. The pool of water had only been to his ankles before, but now it seemed much deeper and much darker.

"What is this place?" Robin muttered.

"A world of illusion." Starfire replied, floating to his side. "The Dark Ones are led by one of Trigon's children. He is manipulating our minds. None of us are awake, right now, Robin. We're in a horrible dream world that the Dark One's leader created for us. His fellow Dark Ones are here too, trying to kill us. He controls everything here."

Robin blinked. "Star . . . how do you –"

"Know all of this?" She answered for him. "Because the Dark One who had _me_ imprisoned liked to talk, and told me everything before she tried to kill me. Listen, Robin, if we can find Raven, she can break this spell on us. We need to find her, pronto."

"Right." Robin said, then he turned towards the door, and then he paused. "Wait . . . what did you say?"

Starfire blinked. "I said we gotta go, are you deaf?"

Robin closed his eyes, and kept his back turned to Starfire. He understood now. He reached down to his belt slowly and grabbed a freezing disc; then he whipped around and threw it at Starfire – but she destroyed it with her eyebeams in mid air.

Robin jumped towards the door; but it closed on him and he smacked into it. A second later, he felt Starfire grab him by his hair and lift him up. When he opened his eyes, it was not Starfire, but Blackfire who held him.

"So you figured it out, eh?" Blackfire grinned.

"You mimicked Star's looks, but you suck at copying her personality." Robin informed her.

"Well, doesn't matter. I don't _need_ to mimic her personality anymore – because you're about to die." Blackfire grinned at him.

"How did you get involved in this?" Robin demanded.

"Eh, the Dark Ones hired me to help them take over Tamaran. I hatched this scheme to lure you Titans here so I could have some revenge while I was at it."

Robin was right. He had known earlier, on the landing platform that Blackfire was the only royal family member who could have sent the message to Starfire. Unfortunately, he was now at her mercy.

"You sold out your entire race just to get revenge on your sister?" Robin asked, horrified.

"Pretty much." Blackfire punched him in the gut, using her alien strength, and he fell to his knees. "Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go visit Koriand'r. Don't worry, I'll say hello for you . . . just before I kill her." Blackfire grinned, kicked Robin in the face, and then walked out of the door.

Robin rolled down the steps and fell into the electrified water. He closed his eyes, expecting death to surround him; but a moment later, he opened his eyes and found he was not dead. He was in the middle of a dense, green jungle, and Jinx was sitting a few feet away from him.

"Hmph. It's you." Jinx said, looking down at him.

"What happened?"

Jinx shrugged. "I don't know. I've been going over ever spell I know, trying to open it."

"Open what?"

"The hatch."

Robin looked out in front of him and found a large metal hatch in the ground, in the middle of the jungle. The handle was rusted and the sides covered in scars and carbon scoring. Robin thought it looked like the hatch had not been opened in several decades.

"What is it?" He asked.

"No clue. Some freak called Rai the Bolt was here before. He told me 'if you want to survive, you will open the hatch before sundown." Jinx informed him. Robin noticed that the sun was going down, which did not sound good. He also remembered the encounter he had with Rai the Bolt only moments ago, and he remembered Blackfire, and her vow to kill her sister. Robin grabbed the hatch handle and tried to force it open, but all he managed to do was strain himself.

"Damn." Robin cursed and kicked it.

"Whoa, never seen you lose your cool like that before." Jinx informed him.

"This whole thing was a trap set by Blackfire!" Robin said as he kicked at the hatch again, trying to get it open. "She's going to kill Star if we don't stop her first."

"Well you won't open it by kicking it." Jinx said. "If my magic can't –"

"You're right." Robin said as he stopped and looked around. "We need something bigger. My bombs are all wet from the room I was in before, I can't detonate them."

Robin sat on top of the hatch and buried his face in his hands. "This day just keeps getting worse."

"No kidding." Jinx agreed as she leaned against a nearby tree. "I guess it can't be as easy as the movies, where all you have to do is say 'Open Sesame' and –"

The hatch suddenly sprung open, sending Robin tumbling to the ground. Jinx began to laugh, apparently she found this hysterically funny. However, before Robin could reprimand her, Jinx's laughter was stopped when a loud roar filled the entire jungle they were in. Robin quickly climbed up to his feet and looked around, and Jinx stopped laughing and did the same.

"What was that?" She asked.

"I don't know." Robin told her.

A second roar – this one had come from inside the hatch. Robin and Jinx looked down at the hatch, and saw four red eyes staring back up at them. Jinx took a step backwards, and Robin put up his arms in a karate stance.

"What is it?" Jinx asked.

"I am Saru the Rock." A voice as loud and ominous as thunder shook the ground. From out of the hatch, a gigantic gorilla climbed up. It had four red eyes, and long brown fur and black skin beneath. It certainly was not like the gorillas on Earth. This one was enormous, and had claws on its hands and feet; and deep crocodile teeth in its mouth.

"You are needing an explanation, no?" Saru asked them.

"Explanation about what?" Jinx asked suspiciously.

"Where you are. What we will do." Saru replied. "This ship belongs to Dark Ones. Dark Ones strongest in universe, we are. Many of us, there are. Rai the Bolt, Saru the Rock, Kaze the Cloud, Hono the Flame, Umi the Wave, Baku the Shadow and Zutto the Gorgon are our names. We serve master, who is strongest of all. I am Saru, I will smash your bodies, break your bones, and use your skin to make clothing for my children."

"That's just wrong." Jinx said.

"Wrong, say you? Fun, say I!" Saru grinned. Then without warning, he jumped forward and grabbed Jinx, squeezing her chest tightly; so tightly, she could not breath. His hand was so enormous it fit around her entire body, and Jinx gasped for air. Robin's bombs were useless, and he had lost his bo-staff, but he wasn't out yet. As Saru's second hand came towards him, Robin threw a bird-a-rang into his outstretched fingers and Saru only laughed.

"Fool! Saru the Rock am I! Strong as a rock is my skin!"

Robin gulped and took two more bird-a-rangs; his last two. He slammed them together and they linked up to form a long-sword. Robin jumped onto Saru's hand, then backflipped up till he landed on Saru's head. Robin slammed the sword down onto Saru's head – and the sword shattered into pieces.

"Warned you, did I not? Rock hard am I!" Saru gloated.

Robin jumped off of his head, and he saw Jinx was losing consciousness. She would be dead soon, if he did not find a way to force Saru to loosen his grip. Robin decided to try the only thing he could think of.

"Take me instead!" He shouted. "Let her go!"

Even if Jinx was an enemy, it went against everything in Robin's nature to let someone die. Batman had taught him better than that. Only two men had ever caused Robin enough for him to want them dead – the man who had murdered his parents, and Slade.

"After crushed is she, you die too!" Saru laughed menacingly. Robin cursed.

"Saru! He is my prey!"

Robin spun around and found Rai the Bolt, the half-dinosaur, half-man standing. No longer did his clothing cloak him, now he wore only a thin coat of armor. He had long brass knuckles with spikes on the end of them, and those spikes hummed with electricity.

"You prey he was, stumbled to me did he." Saru insisted.

"Stupid monkey, speak right!" Rai snapped. "I will slaughter the boy, you may crush the girl!"

With that having been said, Rai charged at Robin, his electrical knuckles buzzing. Of course Robin was two steps ahead of him, and ran towards Rai. He jumped down onto the ground and slid right into Rai's ankle with his own metal-tipped shoes. Robin's shoe snapped Rai's thin, dinosaur leg and Rai fell with a scream. Robin jumped on his back, smashed him in the top of the head with his elbow, and then grabbed the brass knuckles off of one of his hands. Robin put the knuckles on his own hand, and then charged at Saru.

"Hahahahah, work it will not." Saru warned him.

"This will!" Robin grabbed his cape and whipped it off his neck, and then he threw his cape on Saru's feet. Before Saru could move, Robin punched his feet with the electrical knuckles. Of course, Robin's cape was still damp, and instantly electricity surged through Saru. The alien gorilla screamed and died, falling backwards onto the ground. He let go of Jinx, who fell to her knees and began gasping for air.

The knuckles on Robin's hand exploded, and Robin gasped out in pain; but it was a small price to pay to defeat their enemy and save Jinx . . . even if she was Jinx.

"You okay?" Robin asked as he rubbed his now-bloody hand. His glove had been burnt clear off.

"Yeah." Jinx whispered.

Robin stood up and looked at the hatch. "Well, it's open, and it's also our way out of here. I just hope it leads to the others."

"Did you mean it?" Jinx asked him, suddenly.

"Mean what?"

"When you told him to kill you instead of me." Jinx indicated. "Did you mean that?"

"I did." Robin shrugged it off, and climbed down into the hatch without another word, slowly descending the ladder.

Jinx was confused, and followed him while deep in thought. Here one of her enemies had risked his life for her, and she knew perfectly well none of the other HIVE children would have done that. Maybe Cyborg was right; maybe the Titans were not so bad.

Not that she would admit it.

As they descended deeper down the ladder, Robin could hear the sound of the beach below them. This triggered two separate emotions – anxiety and memory. He was anxious because he remembered Saru naming the other Dark Ones – and one of them was called 'the wave'. Clearly, an ocean would be the home of 'the wave', and so he was already expecting another battle. It also triggered memory.

Memories of the last time he and Starfire had been on the beach back at home. They had lain together in the sun, on the beach by the tower. It had been one of his happiest memories of Starfire, the two of them just relaxing by the beach. He had a feeling this beach would not be quite as relaxing.

When Robin reached the bottom of the hatch, he found himself opening another hatch below him, and then dropping down onto a small cliff overlooking a beach. Jinx dropped down next to him a moment later, and then they both gasped.

Bumblebee and Terra were on the beach, and they were not alone. What looked like a shark was standing on the beach; it had human-like arms and legs, but the rest of its body was shark-like. It wore silver clothes and carried a trident in its right hand.

"What the hell?" Jinx whispered.

"I don't know. Let's listen in." Robin handed Jinx a small device that she placed in her earlobe, he put a matching device in his earlobe, and then he threw a third small machine down to the beach. The third thing, the one he had thrown, began transmitting sound back to them.

"They call me Umi the Wave." The shark said to Terra and Bumblebee. "I am the Master of the Oceanic Domain."

"Where the hell are we?" Terra demanded angrily.

"This is a spaceship." Umi said. "Our spaceship has many rooms, each room is an illusion. It makes you think you are somewhere you are not. We are not really on a beach right now; but you see it as one. This beach, illusion or no, is the beach of death – and your final resting place."

"Doesn't look to restful." Bee sarcastically replied. "I'd rather stay at Holiday Inn."

"Sarcastic to the last." Umi replied. She stepped forward, holding the Trident, and suddenly the ocean behind her became violent. A storm began to brew and rage and a wall of water rose up high in the sky. Terra gulped.

"Great. A tidal wave; well I never did like getting my hair wet." Terra muttered.

"Be crushed by my waves!" Umi called dramatically, but Robin had seen enough on the cliff.

"We need a way to –"

"Leave it to me." Jinx interrupted him. "I'm only doing this because you helped me before." She added, obviously not thrilled about saving Bumblebee, who she regarded with the utmost loathing. Jinx spread her fingers and waves of pinkish-purple energy bar extended out at Umi. Suddenly, as Umi stepped forward to attack, she tripped and fell into the sand, dropping her trident. The wave that had been towering over them fell – and came crashing down on Umi.

Terra and Bee spun around to see Robin and Jinx on the cliff top. Robin and Jinx hurried down, running as fast as their legs would carry them to reach the other two.

"You girls alright?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, pretty much." Terra replied. "You?" She noticed his hand, which was missing its glove and covered in blood. He was also missing his cape, which was unusual.

"Fine." He replied. Bumblebee and Jinx stared at each other for a moment, but neither of them spoke. For a minute. Then Jinx opened her mouth.

"You're welcome." She said bitterly.

"We could have got out of it ourselves." Bee snapped.

"Enough." Robin stepped in between them before either of them could speak again. "We're all going to have to work together to get out of this, so knock it off right now."

"How can you work with her Robin?" Bee asked, aghast. "She's our enemy."

"If I can work with Slade." Robin replied, just as bitter. "You can work with Jinx. Now deal with it. You want to be a good leader, Bee, you have to know when to shut up and bite the bullet."

Bee became quiet then, but not because she wanted too. Umi jumped back up out of the water and grabbed Bee, pressing a knife against her neck. The three others around her all stopped and watched in horror as Umi started walking backwards towards the ocean.

"I'm taking this one with me!" Umi screamed. "Then I'm coming back for all of you!"

Suddenly a bolt of lightning struck the beach with a huge explosion. Robin, Jinx and Terra all turned and looked up at the sea cliff where Jinx and Robin had come from. Rai the Bolt was standing at the top of the cliff, holding some kind of rifle in his hands. The rifle, apparently, shot bolts of lightning.

"Damn." Robin cursed.

"Rai? What are you doing here?" Umi screamed up.

"I WANT HIM!" Rai yelled back, pointing a scaly finger at Robin. "I WANT HIS BLOOD! I WANT HIS BONES! I WANT TO PEEL HIS SKIN FROM HIS BODY AND WEAR IT AS MY HAT!"

Umi shook her head. "Rai, you idiot! Don't fire your electro-rifle in here! You'll hit my water and –""

"Hit the water?" Rai's eyes lit up with pleasure. "YES! THEN HE WOULD FRY!" Rai's lizard-like mouth opened in delight, and he licked his lips in sick pleasure.

"YOU IDIOT! I WOULD DIE TOO!" Umi screamed back at him.

"Eh, you're a bitch." Rai replied simply, and he took aim at the waters behind them. Robin had to move fast. He threw a kick at Umi, who was busy looking at Rai, and kicked the hand holding the knife. She dropped it, and instantly Bee kicked her own feet backwards into Umi's shins. Once Bee was clear, Robin kicked Umi again with his foot, knocking her out into the water.

"Quick! Get onto those rocks!" Robin yelled, and the others obeyed. They all jumped onto some nearby large stones, and just in time. Rai's rifle was fully charged, and he fired a bolt of lightning into the water.

The water lit up with a bright blue, and Umi screamed as she was fried a deep black, burnt to a crisp. Umi fell into the waters, dead, and the Titans were trapped on the top of a gigantic beach boulder, surrounded by highly electrified ocean water.

"I've had enough of him." Robin said, indicating Rai.

"I'll do it." Terra whispered. A moment later, her eyes turned yellow and the beach cliff that Rai stood on suddenly began to shake and crumble. Rai screamed and jumped off – right into the electrified water. Of course, the electricity didn't harm him – but the cliff came tumbling down a moment later from Terra's earthquake, and the rocks and stones buried Rai and crushed him, finally ending his terror. Which, unknown to the titans, had been spreading for hundreds of years across the galaxy.

The rock they were on lifted up into the sky, by Terra's will, and began to fly out over the illusionary ocean. They were looking for some sign of their still missing friends.

"Well," Jinx said. "That monkey said there were seven of them. The Bolt, The Rock, The Cloud, The Flame, The Shadow, The Wave and The Gorgon."

"Seven?" Terra groaned. "Just _wonderful_."

"Eight." Robin corrected her. "Saru also mentioned their leader."

"Indeed." A beautiful, female voice spoke. All of them looked ahead to see a beautiful woman with gigantic angelic wings behind her. She wore a white gown that covered her entire body, and her hair was fair and blonde.

"Whoa." Terra said, blinking. "Who're you?"

"You have killed three of the Dark Ones." The Angelic woman said, ignoring Terra's question or the girl's gawking. "Still five remain, however, unchallenged. I am Kaze the Cloud, also called Kaze the Merciful. If you want, I will let you go with your lives."

"You will?" A suspicious Jinx asked.

"Yes. There is but one condition." Kaze replied.

"What is that?" Bee asked, putting a hand on her hip.

"You may leave with your lives . . . but only if I may have a kiss." Kaze informed them.

The four of them all blinked. This angelic woman was not their idea of one of the almighty evil 'dark ones'. Bumblebee was suspicious, and Jinx distrusting. Terra turned to Robin.

"You think it's a trick?"

"Undoubtedly." Robin replied without hesitation.

"It's better than another fight, though." Jinx whispered to Robin. "After all, we're flying over the ocean. Blondie has no rocks to throw but the one we're sitting on, I can't use my powers without risking breaking our ride, and all your bombs are wet, and bird-a-rangs used up, remember?"

"I do _hate_ to say it, but Jinx has a point." Bee whispered.

"Fine." Robin growled, not thrilled with this idea at all.

"So? What say you?" Kaze asked them.

"Fine. I'll kiss you." Robin mumbled. Kaze, however, laughed and shook her head. Apparently, something was amusing to her, but Robin got a terribly cold feeling as he heard her laugh. Beyond the sweet laughter in her voice, he heard something far more sinister.

"I want a kiss from each of you." Kaze informed him.

"Say WHAT?" Bee spat.

"Yeah . . . I don't do that." Terra shook her head.

"It's a good thing too, since Kaze here sucks your soul out if she kisses you." A new voice spoke. The Titans looked behind Kaze, and Kaze herself turned around to find Raven floating in mid-air. Raven did not look so good. Her cape was tattered and torn, and blood was falling from beneath her dark hair.

"You survived?" Kaze asked, disappointed.

"Well growing up my daddy always told me I was hard to kill." Raven replied sarcastically. "And trust me, he tried."

"Raven!" Robin called.

"Nice to see you all made it." Raven replied as she floated, hovering in her spot. "I met Kaze here earlier. Only she was in her true form before, weren't you?" Raven asked.

"Irritating demon child." Kaze growled, and her voice was no longer sweet like honey – it had become sour, and horribly shrill, like nails on a chalkboard. Suddenly Kaze's angelic wings became bat wings, and her long blonde hair turned into a wild red mane. Her white dress fell away to reveal a long blood-colored skirt and matching shirt; and to finish the new look up, her eyes became like flaming crystals.

"I get that a lot." Raven replied.

Kaze swiped her arm across the sky, and winds flew at Raven. The winds were razor sharp, and they cut her across the stomach. Raven cried out in pain and blood fell to the ocean below.

"Raven!" Terra shouted. "Hey Bee, break off a piece of our rock!" Terra ordered.

"Sure." Bee fired one of her golden B's at the rock's edge, and a tiny piece broke off. It was jagged and sharp, and it suddenly began to glow with a golden aura. Terra fired the rock like a tiny knife right into Kaze's right wing. Kaze screamed.

"You!" She turned on Terra, but she had already begun to fall became of the hole in her wing. Blood filled the air as Kaze plummeted towards the waters, but she struggled to stay in the sky. Raven, however, had recovered from the attack.

"You ever pull wings off a butterfly? Personally I haven't, but there's a first time for everything." Raven said with ice in her voice. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"

Black light surrounded Kaze's wings, and suddenly they popped right out of their sockets. Kaze screamed and bled, and then she fell into the waters and disappeared below the surface. Raven floated over to the rock and then collapsed in Terra's outstretched arms, breathing heavy and bleeding badly.

"Are you alright, Raven?" Terra asked the tired girl in her arms.

"Not really." Raven replied quietly. Then she paused for a long time, but finally added. "Have you seen the others?"

"No." Robin replied quietly.

No one spoke after that. They just continued flying on the rock slowly, floating over the illusion of the ocean, heading towards God-only-knows-where. All of them were thinking the same thing. They had killed four of the Dark Ones, there were still three left; and they had not seen Cyborg, Beast Boy or Starfire since the attack on the platform – nor had they seen the Tamaranian Royals.

And they did not know that Slade and his daughter were still out there as well.

**---- ---- ---- ---- ----**

So sorry for the delay. We're back on schedual now. Also, don't forget to go to

(remove the spaces)

http/s12. // s12. invisionfree . com / sonicthehedgehog / index . php ? showtopic 162

For info on Season Five of Teen Titans. Plus I'm a mod on that message board, and hang out there all the time, so if you ever want to chat – find me there.


	42. The Sisters Starfire

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Forty-Two**

"The Sisters Starfire"

**A/N:** You see? I really am back. Quick update, hooray! XD  
Anyway, two things I must say in today's notes. The first was pointed out by my good buddy **Kodra**, who noted that the Titans pretty much killed all their enemies in the last chapter. Indeed they did! But for good reason. Remember, these are the oh-so-evil Dark Ones that murdered the Titans and their children in the alternate timeline, so . . . for once they're not taking chances on letting them live. O.o

Also, I shall mention **mirielle**! Why? Because it was mirielle who spotted the "Lost" homage I did with the hatch. XP What can I say, I got a new DVD set. Anyway, I shall stop my talking now, and send you on your merry way to read the new chapter. Have a good day!

Also, credit I give to **Kodra** for the name of the Leader of the Dark Ones. Thanks for helping me out with that dude.

So this chapter is dedicated to **Mirielle **and** Kodra**.

Also, to answer the question asked by **Waffler**, all of the names of the Dark Ones are Japanese words. Saru means "Monkey", Kaze means "Wind", Hono means "Flames", Baku means "Ghost/Ghoul", Umi means "Ocean", Rai has something to do with lightning, and I forget what Zutto means "Forever, a long time". Duamathrax was given to me by Kodra, I do not know what it means, if anything.

**---- ---- ---- ---- ----**

There was a metallic silver lab on the Dark One's space cruiser. All of the Titans and Jinx were strapped to chairs in this laboratory, as were King Myand'r, Queen Luand'r and Galfore. Currently all of them were asleep, dreaming in their dreams about the strange world of illusions they were in. The entire events with Rai the Bolt, Saru the Rock, Kaze the Cloud and Umi the Wave had not really happened. The Titans were inside a dream world that played on their minds, distorted their reality and made them believe things that were not true.

Of course, if you died inside this dream world, you would die for real.

The true dark ones were in the laboratory. Seven of the dark ones were strapped to machines just like the Titans – and four of those seven had died. Rai, Umi, Saru and Kaze were now lifeless bodies strapped to the machines. The other three, Hono, Baku and Zutto were still alive, and still having fun.

The eighth, and leader, of the dark ones, sat in the real world, watching the dreams of everyone else on monitors. The advanced alien technology, mixed with ancient demonic rituals, allowed him to watch the private dreams of those inside his machines. He laughed and scratched his chin. He was a horrible creature. Long ago his mother, a warmongering empress of a planet far away from earth had a child with Trigon the Terrible – and the result was the Master of the Dark Ones: Duamathrax. Thrax was the master of the Dark Ones, and their most dangerous member. His skin was like black silk, but as tough as steel. His eyes, which he had eight, were yellow and there were two of them on each side of his head. His mouth was like that of a spider's, and he had horns like a goat growing out of his head. A long tail like a scorpions, and clawed hands and feet completed the look of eternal evil.

"Hahahahah. . . Titans, you have done well. I thank you all very much." Thrax said aloud.

Blackfire, who was no longer hooked up to the machine, scratched her head. "Why are you thanking them, sire? They killed four of your own!"

"Fool." Thrax smirked. "Why do you complain? The fewer of them there are, the more power you shall have when we have won."

Blackfire hesitated for a moment, and then a small grin split across her face. She crossed her arms and looked back at the eight-eyed demon lord who was her master now.

"So that's the point of this little game, eh Thrax?"

"What do you mean?" The silk-skinned demon asked.

"You have the Titans captures and asleep. If you wanted to you could just kill them all now. Instead you're messing with this whole dream world charade. You WANT the other Dark Ones to die, so you have more say-so in the future."

"I do this because it is fun." Thrax replied with a twisted grin. "If I wanted them dead, I would kill them myself. I assure you, the Titans will die, as will your family. Then Tamaran shall be added to the list of planets I rule."

Blackfire's eyebrow rose several inches. That hadn't been what they discussed in the past. She took a step forward and cleared her throat. "I thought you said I could rule Tamaran."

Thrax looked at her with the two of his eyes on the right side of his head. The eerie yellow glow from those eyes pierced into her, and she shivered. "Idiot . . . I merely used you, Blackfire, as I did all the other Dark Ones. Actually while we're on this subject, I have no further use for you."

Blackfire dropped her jaw and flew up into the air, meeting him on eye-level. "What the _hell_ are you saying?" She demanded, her hands glowing pink with Tamaranian energy.

"I am saying the **entire** Royal Family shall die . . . starting with you."

A flash later, two bright bolts of yellow light shot from Thrax's eyes and impaled Blackfire in the chest. She flew hard and fast at the window, unconscious and dripping blood as she shattered through the glass and fell to the Tamaranian desert below. The ship was floating over the barren wastelands that made up most of Tamaran. Blackfire hit the ground, and the ship continued to fly away.

She had been left for dead.

However, someone found her.

"Is that Starfire, father?"

Rose the Ravager, dressed all in purple and holding her sword, looked down at Blackfire's unconscious body. She kicked the bleeding Tamaranian once with her boot, but her father stopped her.

"No . . . that is her sister. She may know where our prey has disappeared to." Slade confirmed, bending down near Blackfire's body. "Tend to her wounds, Rose, see to it that she survives."

**----**

"Why does this stuff always happen to us?"

Beast Boy and Cyborg were in the world of illusions. While their friends were flying high over the seas once ruled by Umi the Wave, they were wandering through a dark cavern. How they had gotten there, neither of them knew. They had no clue where the others were, or what they were doing. What they did know was that they were alone and in danger.

"Stop complaining BB." An irritated Cyborg sighed.

"Dude, what is with you?" Beast Boy asked. "I've never seen you so glum. I mean, sure, we're in some freaky place full of evil aliens who want to murder us, we have no clue where the others are, and we could be walking into a trap – but this kind of thing happens all the time. What's up your butt man?"

Cyborg sighed and leaned against the wall of the cavern. He turned his shoulder light on, to illuminate their surroundings, and then he looked at his green buddy. "You have no clue what I'm going through, do you BB?"

"Umm . . . yes I do? I'm here too, remember?" Beast Boy said, tapping his buddy on the head.

"I mean with Bee and Jinx." Cyborg snapped.

"You don't think I know what its like to have two women in your life? Dude, is your brain plugged in or what? Have you not seen what's going on?" Beast Boy asked, shocked by what Cyborg had just said.

Cyborg seemed confused. "What do you mean?"

"Hello? I'm talking about Terra and Raven." Beast Boy told him flat out. Cyborg's human eye widened, and the robotic one turned bright red.

"Are you telling me you still have feelings for Terra?" He asked, surprised completely.

"No dude! Rae's the only girl in my book," Beast Boy quickly confirmed. "But Terra still has feelings for me."

"How do you know?" Cyborg asked.

"She told me," Beast Boy replied. "Two years ago, after that whole incident back then with Slade and Time Travel and all that crap. She flat out told me, but I told her that things had changed, you know . . . still, she . . . dude, sometimes when we're alone together she says things, and does things . . . I think she's trying to win me back from Raven."

Cyborg began to crack up laughing. To him, this was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. "BB, I know you think you're irresistible to women, but believe me, you're not."

Beast Boy scowled. "I'm being serious dude! Terra flirts with me when Rae is not around. I told her to knock it off, but she doesn't."

Cyborg clearly did not believe him. "Thanks B, I needed a good laugh. Now let's work on getting out of here."

"Get out of here? Keheheheheh . . . you are going nowhere, methinks." A low, creepy voice spoke before Beast Boy had a chance to respond. Cyborg and Beast Boy both froze on the spot, and turned to look down at the other end of the tunnel. Cyborg's shoulder lamp illuminated a large, gray creature with a scaly body and dark eyes. It quickly hid behind its wings when Cyborg shined the light on it.

"Who the heck are you?" Cyborg asked, transforming his arm into a cannon.

"I am Zutto the Gorgon," The creature replied. "One of the Dark Ones, and I have come to feast on your blood and flesh."

"That's kinda sick." Beast Boy replied, making a nasty face. Cyborg couldn't be sure if he meant the eating-meat part, or the fact _they_ were the meat. Either way, Cyborg whole-heartedly agreed.

"What's wrong, Zutto? Afraid of the light?" Cyborg grinned widely.

Zutto's tail shot out of the shadows and shattered Cyborg's shoulder light, instantly plunging the entire cavern into total, sheer darkness.

"Well," Beast Boy complained. "That was a good idea."

There was a roar from the darkness ahead of them, where Zutto had been, and Cyborg aimed his arm cannon and blasted away. However, as the blue-and-white beams illuminated the cavern's tunnels, they saw Zutto was now crawling on the roof like spider. Cyborg gulped and shot again, but Zutto scurried across the walls and evaded again.

"Hang on, Cy!" Beast Boy jumped at his friend, morphed into a cheetah, and Cyborg jumped onto his back. Beast Boy ran down the tunnel's path as fast as he could, with Cyborg sitting backwards on his back, firing at Zutto – who was now behind them and closing in fast, making a sinister snake-like hissing sound the entire time.

"Crap, Crap, Crap, Crap, Crap!" Cyborg shouted, each time his sonic cannon missed Zutto, who was still running up and down the walls like a bug. Beast Boy picked up the pace, as Zutto spit an acidic limey substance on the ground behind them. It fizzed and ate through the solid stone floor.

"BB, must run faster, MUST run faster!" Cyborg yelled at Beast Boy, who increased his pace once again, now running as fast as he could with Cyborg's weight added to him. Zutto was closing in again, and Beast Boy gulped ahead as he saw a light. The end of the tunnel was in sight. Beast Boy jumped out of the tunnel, and to his horror, he found that, he had just jumped headfirst into the crater of a volcano.

Beast Boy quickly changed his shape into a pterodactyl, and grabbed Cyborg, who had begun to fall, by the shoulders. Unfortunately, Zutto spread his long, gargoyle-like wings and flew right after them. Now that they could see Zutto from the light of the boiling magma below, they were horrified by what they saw.

"You cannot escape!" Zutto screamed – and then he burst into flames. A fireball erupted forth from the magma below and scorched Zutto into ash. Cyborg and Beast Boy looked down, and saw a large lava rock sitting on a boulder that floated in the midst of the magma. The lava rock had flames coming from its back, and arms and legs like a person.

"Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, I missed!" The lava rock hissed. "Hono the Flame, am I! Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, I guess I killed Zutto. Eh, I never liked him anyway."

"ANOTHER ONE?" Cyborg screamed in frustration. "COME ON, THIS IS RIDICULOUS!"

The lava rock said nothing, instead he began to grunt and strain his face. Cyborg blinked, and if Beast Boy had been able to speak in animal form, he probably would have made a constipation joke. However, a split-second later giant fireballs shot off of Hono's flaming back and headed right at the two titans.

Cyborg fired his sonic cannon at each of the fireballs and destroyed them, but he gulped. He was beginning to run low on power from all the times he'd used his cannon; and on top of that it took an incredible amount of sound energy generated to disrupt the fireballs as they flew at them. He could not keep this up for very long. So he decided to take measures into his own hands, and he transformed his other hand into a cannon as well and fired them both.

They struck the boulder Hono was standing on, and it cracked in two and sunk into the magma, bringing Hono with it. Cyborg grinned – but the triumphal grin soon turned into a sigh of despair.

Hono rose his head out of the magma, and he was smiling. "Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho . . . you try to kill a flame with fire? You amuse me, silly metal man!"

Hono puckered up his lips, as if he wanted a kiss or was going to whistle. Instead, he shot a thin jet stream of flames right at Beast Boy and Cyborg; Beast Boy quickly swerved to avoid the flames, and Cyborg aimed a blast at Hono, but he missed.

"You have no chance." Hono laughed; and then his head exploded in green light. Cyborg blinked, and then looked up. On the other side of the volcanic crater, Starfire was floating in the air, her hands and eyes glowing with a brilliant emerald-colored fury.

**----**

Right around the time her sister was saving Cyborg and Beast Boy from Hono, Blackfire woke up. She groaned and shook her head. The last thing she remembered was being shot in the chest by Duamathrax; now as she looked down she found her chest was bare save for the large amount of bandages wrapped around it. Her head hurt, and she had the taste of blood in her mouth.

"Good morning, Blackfire." A cold male voice reached her ears. She looked up and saw Slade and Rose standing above her.

Blackfire tried to move, but in a flash Rose had her sword out and she pressed it against Blackfire's throat.

"Do not move." Rose instructed her, and Blackfire, who felt the sharp, icy blade on her neck, did as she said.

"Who are you?" Blackfire hissed.

"I am Deathstroke, the Terminator. You may call me Slade." Slade replied. "I'm looking for the Teen Titans, any chance you know where I can find them?"

Blackfire smirked devilishly. "They'll be dead soon. Duamathrax is just toying with them in his ship. If you want to save them, you're too late."

"Save them? No, no, no, my dear, you misread my relationship with them." Slade replied, smirking himself behind the double-colored mask that hid his identity. "I merely want to be the one who ends their miserable lives."

Blackfire's face changed. No longer was there any anger, or confusion – only pleasure. She had lost her chance at revenge when Duamathrax had knocked her from the ship; but now she was given a second chance, and that made her grin. "Then I think we can help each other."

**----**

"Are you okay?" Terra asked Raven.

The group was still flying on Terra's floating rock, and it was a glum sight. Bumblebee and Jinx would not talk to or look at one another. They sat, back to back, watching opposite sides. Still the group flew over the ocean, and still they had no sign of their friends. Robin was very silent, looking on the rear of the rock, keeping a watchful eye out for anything or anyone who might try to harm them. Raven, who was wiped-out exhausted, was still in Terra's arms leaning her head against the blonde-haired woman's shoulders, and her eyes were closed.

"I'm fine." Raven whispered.

"You look like hell." Terra told her.

"I feel like hell," Raven replied, still speaking in just above a whisper. "It doesn't matter."

"Get some sleep. We'll keep a watch out for you." Terra reassured her.

"No." Raven flat-out refused.

"Why not?" Terra asked her.

"I need to be awake. We've still got three of our friends out there, and we both know my powers are our best chance of finding them." Raven informed her, in complete honesty. Though regardless of the honesty of her statement, Terra could hear there was something else hidden in her voice. Terra fell silent and sighed. She knew it was only a matter of time before everything came out into the open, and she dreaded that day.

**----**

"Friends, you must help me!"

Back at Hono the Flame's volcano, things had not slowed down or cooled off since Starfire saved the green teen and the metal man. She was frantic as she flew around them. The three were now at the edge of the volcanic crater, having flown over it, and now they were making their way down a steep incline towards a cemetery below.

"Relax Star, we'll handle this Baku guy." Cyborg assured her.

Starfire had already told them the horrible story of what had happened when she first woke up. She told them how she and her parents had been placed inside large glass coffins, and then had been buried alive in the cemetery. She told them how she had managed to escape, but she could not get Myand'r and Luand'r out. She told them how a gigantic creature that wore a black sheet with a white mask for a face, calling itself Baku the Shadow, had attacked her and she had only barley escaped with her life.

Now she was leading them to that cemetery where her parents were buried alive. Her hope was they could triumph over Baku and save the King and Queen. However, they all knew it was dangerous; what they did not know was that Baku was the most lethal of the Dark Ones, aside from Thrax himself.

"Here we are," Beast Boy announced glumly. "Spook central."

The graveyard was filled with harsh, dead earth. Like a badland. The trees were all barren and the ground was black with soot. Only the tombstones were white, like giant marble beacons of the atrocities committed here. Starfire quickly flew to the eastern side of the graveyard, where there was an empty grave – it had been hers. Baku had buried the Tamaranian Royal Family alive, and now Starfire looked at the two graves on either side of hers.

"My parents . . . are they still alive?" Starfire whispered.

Cyborg checked a scanner on his arm, and his face lit up brightly. "I'm picking up two lifeforms. They're weak, but still there. We're just in time Star. Let's dig 'em outta there."

"You return to me, eh red?"

Starfire whipped around, so did Cyborg and Beast Boy. There was Baku the Shadow, the last remaining Dark One, and the worst of all. He looked rather comical in comparison to his fearsome friends. Baku looked like a man wearing a white sheet as a hood and robe, with a mask like Slade's, but completely black. There were three eye holes in the mask, but only the ones on the right and left were open. The third eye, which was in the middle of his forehead, was shut tight.

"Man . . . they sure don't make supervillians like they used too." Cyborg smirked.

"Idiot, you laugh at my appearance, eh? Heheheh . . . go on, laugh; it'll be the last time you ever do. I'm Baku the Shadow; the Three-Eyed Death." Baku announced proudly. "Anyone who stares into my third eye is paralyzed by the grip of fear."

Baku was proud of his third eye. Anyone who stared at it, even for a split second, would instantly be frozen by fear. They body would cease to work, and they would see and hear only their darkest dreams and greatest nightmares. Their fear would come to life and consume them; and while their fears destroyed their minds, Baku would take off his mask and devour their bodies. The only people who ever saw Baku without his mask were his victims; just before they died.

"That's it? That's your big creepy supervillian power? Dude, that's nothing compared to some of the stuff we've seen." Beast Boy declared, crossing his arms across his chest and smirking.

"You do not find me frightening?" Baku asked him.

"Nope, I sure don't." Beast Boy replied proudly.

Baku's third eye suddenly sprang open; it was flaming and red. None of the three titans could look away in time, and suddenly it was like giant icy chains had sprang across their wrists and ankles holding them in place. Beast Boy screamed as the most horrible moments of his life replayed before his eyes. Cyborg let out a howl of terror as he imaged the things that haunted his dreams, and Starfire was reduced to tears as she saw all of the things that caused her to be afraid. Each of the titans fell to their knees, screaming and sobbing, and Baku just laughed.

"I told you I was almighty – OOF!"

A yellow blade attached to a red boom-a-rang snared Baku right in his third eye, causing it to snap shut. The bird-a-rang burst into flames and hit the ground, but it had done enough. Baku clutched his face, which bled blood that was as white as snow. The three titans snapped out of their trances, and Starfire, who a moment ago had been experiencing her worst fears, was suddenly filled with an abundance of happiness. She felt warmth in her chest, and a deep-rooted feeling in her stomach that can only be described as hope.

"Get away from my friends."

A large flying rock landed on the ground, Robin standing tall on it, his hands out in a judo stance. He was ready for a fight, and so were the others. Terra was behind Robin, still holding an injured Raven with one hand and using the other to pilot the rock.

"You bastard! You will burn in hell for that!" Baku snapped; but Robin merely grinned.

"Get him, girls." Robin said simply, and before Baku could react Jinx jumped down from behind him – she had been waiting in an ambush. Jinx waved her arms and purplish-pink waves snapped across the ground near Baku like giant whips, and the dirt crumbled and he fell into one of the graves he had prepared for the titans. A flash later, Bee flew out of the nearby bushes where she had been waiting, and she barraged Baku with zaps from her golden B's to keep him busy.

Terra took charge now. She handed Raven to Robin, who held the girl in his arms while Terra jumped off of the rock and her eyes flashed with a dangerous yellow light. The dirt around Baku pushed closed and he was buried alive in his own grave; but unlike what he had done to Starfire before, he was not in an airtight coffin, and he quickly suffocated. Terra then flicked her wrist, and the dirt that piled on top of Myand'r and Luand'r's coffins shot into the air and made two piles beside the graves. The King and Queen of Tamaran both broke free as soon as they could get out, and Starfire squealed with delight and attacked them both with a monstrous hug. It only lasted a minute, however, because as she broke away and shot straight at Robin and tackled him, knocking him to the ground as she embraced the man she loved, and the man she thought she had lost forever.

"Robin!"

"Take it easy Star, I'm okay. We all are." Robin reassured her.

However, a few feet away, Beast Boy was kneeling with Raven. While Terra had defeated Baku, Robin had set her down next to the boulder they had used as a flying device. Beast Boy's face was scrunched up in horror as he saw her. He bent down to wake her up, but Terra stopped him.

"Let her sleep," She told the green teen. "She's really injured, she needs the rest. She was worried sick about you and it's only by luck that she went to sleep at all."

Beast Boy sighed and instead of waking her up, he transformed into a dog and curled up in her lap.

It was Terra's turn to sigh, and turn away. She shifted her focus to Cyborg, who was now standing with Jinx and Bumblebee a few feet away from the rest of the group.

"Um, hi." Cyborg said awkwardly as the two of them stood looking at him.

"Don't you hi me," Bee snapped, she was clearly angry with him. "We need to have a serious discussion mister."

"Us too," Jinx said with a snarl. "Except when we have a discussion it's going to be very violent, and probably bloody.

"Listen, girls, I can explain." Cyborg started to say.

"Save it." They both responded at once.

"Look Cy, Jinx and I got to talking on the ride over here. We've come to an understanding." Bumblebee informed him. "We're both really pissed off, and it's your fault. So instead of taking it out on each other, like we were going to do,"

"We're going to take it out on you," Jinx finished for her. "We know you'll pick one of us in the end, but until you can decide on which one, you ain't getting either one of us,"

"And you might not get either one of us in the end anyway," Bee added. "Depends on how pissed I stay."

"Ditto." Jinx said.

". . . Grrrrrrrrrrreeeeeat." Cyborg sighed.

Suddenly, none of the titans were talking to each other anymore.

They all woke up. They had been inside the illusionary dream world, and now that world dissolved around them and they all woke up to find themselves strapped to medical tables in the metallic silver lab of Duamathrax.

"What the heck?" Robin gasped. A moment ago, he had Starfire in his arms, now he was strapped to a table in an alien spaceship.

"Wakey, Wakey Titans, anytime you're ready to join the fight, I'd be grateful." Slade's voice filled the room. All of the Titans, Jinx and the Royals looked across the room. Slade, Rose and Blackfire were currently caught up in a battle with Duamathrax; who was shooting lasers from all eight of his eyes. Blackfire flew around the room, hurling starbolts at him, and Rose was slashing at his feet wit her sword. Slade was standing next to the now-destroyed controls for the dream machine.

"Slade!" Robin gasped.

"Oh come on, are you really that surprised to see me?" Slade said, smirking behind his mask. He then hit a button, and the restraints on the titans broke off. "Well Robin, we'll see you after the fight, if you survive. C'mon Rose!"

Slade threw a ball on the ground and it exploded, engulfing the lab in smoke. When the smoke cleared, Slade and Rose the Ravager were gone. Blackfire however, was still there.

"That backstabbing sonovabitch! He was supposed to get me out of here too!" Blackfire complained as she dodged a laser from Thrax.

"You are one to speak of traitors!" Starfire yelled at her sister.

"Oh, puh-lease. We'll talk later Star, for now let's just kill tall, dark and ugly." Blackfire smiled sweetly at her sister.

"Titans, Go!" Robin yelled, ending the debate. "Let's take down the last of the Dark Ones!"

"Idiots," Duamathrax growled. "I am Duamathrax the Destroyer, son of Trigon the Terrible, Master of the Dark Ones and Lord of Destruction; you have no chance!"

"Son of Trigon? Raven, you're dad was WAY too horny." Terra yelled.

"Okay, there's one conversation I don't want to have, ever." Raven replied as she clutched her chest with one hand and held onto Beast Boy with the other. Terra blushed and whipped around; she had thought Raven was still unconscious, but the gothic titan was now awake. Blood ran down from a cut above her eye, and the bruises on her chest and stomach, visible through the many tears in her black leotard, were swelling. She looked horrible, but for now she had to fight through the pain. She knew she would be needed for this upcoming fight.

Outside the ship, Slade was smiling as he held a round, blue orb in his hand. Rose looked at it.

"What is that father?" She asked.

"A mind-control sphere, I liberated it from Duamathrax's possession when we were in there. After the Titans kill him, he won't need it." Slade replied.

"What will we use it for?" She asked.

"I have a contact back on Earth who can use this for his plans. I must return to that contact, Rose. He will make good use of this device," Slade turned to his daughter and put his free hand on her shoulder. "I want you to stay here, Rose. Stay and kill the titans. Wait for the opportune moment, just like we planned. I will meet you in Gotham City when you're finished here."

"Yes, father." Rose nodded, and she ran off in the direction of the Tamaranian desert, to prepare the trap they had planned. Slade, meanwhile, headed towards where the Titans had landed on the planet – he was going to steal their ship and use it to get back to Earth, where his contact was waiting.

If the Titans survived Duamathrax, then he knew Rose would kill them, and in the meanwhile he would be busy back at Earth.

After all, his business contact wanted the mind-control orb quickly; and The Brotherhood wasn't known for their patience.

"Farewell, Teen Titans. My only regret is I won't be there for your final hour." Slade whispered.

**---- ---- ---- ---- ----**

Eight chapters left before the end! o Can you believe it?

CAN YOU DIG IT?

Anyway . . . reviews will make me feel warm and fuzzy, and therefore make me update faster. See y'all later, don't hesitate to IM me on AIM if you want --- GoldenSama is the screen name.

Peace, yo!

- GS out.


	43. Operation Defeat Duamathrax

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Forty-Three**

"Operation: Defeat Duamathrax"

**A/N:** This chapter I dedicate to a good friend: **AGodofIrony**!

I am SO sorry for the delay. Since Halloween I've had surgery twice, and have been in the hospital for a eight day stretch on a separate occasion; so it has really effected my writing time, and most recently of all I was sick on Christmas.

**---- ---- ---- ---- ----**

Duamathrax looked out at the Titans who stood in his spaceship and he growled loudly. However, this growl was not one of anger or rage; it was a growl of laughter. He was amused that they had destroyed all of his Dark Ones, and he was amused that they attempted to destroy him. The gigantic black demon looked at them with each of his eight yellow eyes, and then he scoffed.

"You do not have the power to defeat me." Duamathrax announced.

"We've heard that rant before." Robin informed him, no fear in his voice as he held the bo-staff in one hand and glared at the monster that stood in front of him.

Duamathrax's black skin was as tough as diamonds, but as shiny as silk. He laughed a cruel, thunderous laugh, and then he drew himself up to his full height. In a flash, without warning or any kind of evil taunt or monologue, his scorpion tail flicked out and soared towards Robin, who quickly jumped back and threw up his bo-staff to block it; however the staff was severed neatly in two, and Robin only narrowly escaped from the tail's enormous knife-like end.

"You are skilled indeed, for a human, but do not think it will save you." Duamathrax bellowed with his mighty voice; but Robin retaliated by throwing a freezing disc right into Duamathrax's mouth as he spoke; it exploded and covered his head in ice.

"Titans, Go!" Robin gave his trademark battle cry and all of the Titans swarmed Duamathrax at once. Beast Boy became a Tyrannosaurs Rex and used his massive jaws to bite the end of Duamathrax's tail off – or at least he tried. Duamathrax's skin was much too powerful, and Beast Boy reverted to his normal self and holding his jaw and howling in pain.

Terra was up next; she concentrated hard and a great spike of rock shot up from the surface of Tamaran below them, broke through the bottom of the spaceship and impaled Duamathrax in the back. Unfortunately his diamond-like hide shattered the rock into shards as it hit him; and what's more, the ship burst into flames and began to plummet towards the planet's surface.

"Whoops." Terra sweatdropped.

"Let's get out of here." Raven stood up, even though she was still wounded severely, and she used her powers to transport the Titans, Jinx, Starfire's Parents and Blackfire out of the ship in the form of a giant black raven. As the raven landed on the ground, the Titans and their company all looked up to watch the ship crash into a nearby mountain and explode with a gigantic flash of flames and smoke.

"Well, at least we stopped him." Terra said with a small smile gracing her lips.

Then, all at once, Duamathrax flew out of the wreckage and hovered in the air above the titans. He was bleeding thick globs of blood that was as black as the night sky, and it smelled like rotten meat.

"Do you think you have defeated me?" Duamathrax asked, and then he coughed and a great puddle of blood oozed out of his mouth and down his throat and chest, blending in with the natural dark color of his skin and giving a creepy effect as if his skin was becoming liquid.

"Usually when folks spit up blood, it means there done fighting." Raven's sarcasm cut in again, but then she grunted and fell to her knees, holding her shoulder. During the explosion, a piece of debris had slashed her shoulder open, and added only another injury to her growing resume. Beast Boy hurried and ran to her side, throwing an arm around her back and allowing her to support her weight on him.

"I am far beyond your usual foes." Duamathrax announced; and then his body exploded. Pieces of his rock-hard skin flew in every direction, blood and bone splattered the ground all around and each of the Titans and all of their company were drenched in black blood.

"Eww, it's getting in my gears!" Cyborg complained.

"Dude, it's in MY mouth!" Beast Boy snapped.

"It's in my cuts." Raven said very quietly, her voice filled with pain. The black blood of Duamathrax was indeed oozing on her open wounds, and it felt like someone had just drenched her in salt.

"Okay, she wins." Cyborg agreed.

"Hey dumb asses, we have another problem." Blackfire rudely butted in, pointing her finger to where Duamathrax had exploded. Where there had once been a gigantic, eight-eyed demon; there were now eight small versions of Duamathrax. Each had only one eye on their head.

"That's just wrong Sparky." Bumblebee noted.

"Foolish Titans," The first tiny-Duamathrax grinned sadistically. "I am beyond death. I am beyond any of you!"

"And I shall prove it." The second tiny-Duamathrax announced.

"I shall go to the Tamaranian Capital City and slaughter everyone I see." The third of the eight declared with glee.

"This planet shall be covered in an ocean of its inhabitants blood!" The fourth Duamathrax snickered; and then all eight of them took off running in the direction of Tamaran's Capital City. King Myand'r gasped out loud, and the Queen clasped a hand over her mouth.

"You led them here!" Myand'r shouted, turning on his daughter Blackfire. "How could you do this to your own people?"

"Spare me the lecture." Blackfire flipped some hair over he shoulder and rose up into the air. "See ya later, pops; or not." She grinned and began to fly away; but Starfire flew at her and threw a vicious punch into her sister's stomach. Blackfire doubled-over in mid-air and coughed in pain. Then she glared at her sister.

"You're going to regret that Star!" She leapt at her sister and grabbed her around the throat, trying to strangle her; but Starfire blasted Blackfire with her laser eyes, and Blackfire flew backwards.

"Robin! You must stop those creatures, I will handle my sister." Starfire called to the man she loved, then without any time for debate or hesitation; she flew towards Blackfire and threw another punch. Robin was worried about her, but he did not have time to argue. He knew that stopping those Duamathrax monsters was their prime concern; or hundreds of thousands of people would die.

"You heard her; Titan's Go!"

**----**

"I. See. Mr. Slade. You. Have. The. Device. I. Requested?" The Brain's broken, hallow voice filtered in over Slade's communicator. He was on his way back to earth now, taking the stolen ship from before and talking to the leader of the Brotherhood.

"I do, and I will bring it to you – provided our deal still stands." Slade said carefully over the channels.

"The. Deal. We. Made. Will. Be. Honored. Once. I. Have. The. Device. And. The World. Bows. Before. The. Brotherhood. Of. Evil. You. Will. Be. Given. That. Which. I. Promised. You."

"Good, then I'll see you in Gotham." Slade said, and he switched off his communicator and laughed to himself. Everything was going exactly as he had planned. Now he just had to wait for his daughter to kill off the Titans on Tamaran, and get the device to the Brain; and his goal would be accomplished.

**----**

The Titans were following the eight Duamathrax spawns as closely as they could; there was just one problem. Each time one of the Titans got anywhere near one of the demonic creatures, that Duamathrax would spray a vile mist into the air; a green, putrid spray that would melt the ground around where it had been sprayed. Raven, as injured as she was, was levitating the entire group to follow the eight horrendous beasts.

"How do we take those things out?" Jinx asked the others. She was ignoring the fact that she did not like them, and they did not like her. Right now this 'Duamathrax' character, or characters, it seemed, was getting on her nerves. She wanted to kill those eight freakish creatures and if that meant working with the titans, that was alright with her.

"Good question." Cyborg replied, he was looking at a scanner on his arm. "These things have some MASSIVE levels of power. Off the scales! And I can't detect any kind of weak point in their bodies."

"Well whatever we do, we have to do it soon." Myand'r, King of Tamaran, who was also coming with the Titans declared. "We are nearing the city! If we do not hurry, they will decimate my people!"

"Relax, we have this under control." Robin informed the King, and from the confidence in his voice you'd never be able to tell how dire the situation really was. As they zoomed on the barren countryside, riding on black mental energy in the shape of a giant bird, the Titans soon saw the eight scurrying fiends below them.

"Rae, can you do anything?" Beast Boy asked. He sat in the middle of the bird's back, next to Raven and Terra. His hands were on Raven's shoulders and his face was leaned in close to hers.

"Beast Boy, right now I can hardly stay _awake_. It's using everything I have to make this levitation platform. You're on your own." Raven told him in an irritable voice.

"Right, okay, so . . . umm . . . Bee, you got any ideas?" Beast Boy looked up above him to where Bumblebee was flying above the rest of them.

"Not a one." Bee sighed.

"Well, I do." Terra said, looking down at the ground below. "But I'll need someone to distract them while I do it."

She turned away from the ground below them, and looked directly at Beast Boy as she said this. He sweatdropped and hung his head.

"Why me?"

"You're the only shape shifter." Cyborg reminded him.

"Feh. Fine." Beast Boy jumped off the side of the raven and transformed into a dinosaur. Instead of the usual tyrannosaurs rex, he instead became a much bigger, long-necked brachiosaurs. He landed right in front of the eight demons and swatted at two of them with his tail, while he knocked another two backwards using his neck. The other four, however, managed to scamper between his legs and keep going.

The four that had been stopped, however, suddenly felt the ground beneath them shake. A fissure had opened up beneath them and they fell into the earth. Terra grunted as she forced the ground closed again using her powers. She had to do it fast, because the Duamathrax spawns had tried to get out. One of them was halfway out of the hole as it closed up again, and it was severed in two.

Beast Boy made a face and transformed back into himself; but as he did the half of the Duamathrax that had been decapitate exploded and showered him in green sludge. Beast Boy screamed and fell on the ground, unconscious.

"Damn it." Raven kept flying.

"Aren't you going to go back for him?" Terra asked, frantically.

"We have to stop the other four or millions of Tamaranians will die." Raven snapped bitterly. "He'll have to wait a minute."

"Unbelievable." Terra shook her head, jumped off the black raven, and caused a chunk of rock from beneath them to fly up to her feet so she could use it as a floating device. She hurried down to Beast Boy's side and jumped off. Raven wanted to scream. She knew Terra still had feelings for Beast Boy, and as shallow as it seemed, she did not want Terra to be the one to save Beast Boy. However; she knew at the moment they had bigger fish to fry. Millions of lives depended on her, so she just had to accept that Terra would probably make a move on her man.

_Fantastic_. Raven thought sarcastically.

**----**

A rockslide had started, from the impact of Blackfire hitting the mountain as hard as she did. Her sister had thrown her into the Cliffside as the two Tamaranian princesses continued to battle back at the crash site of the Dark Ones' ship. Starfire threw a barrage of starbolts at her sister; but Blackfire's pink starbolts cut through them and caused them to explode in mid-air.

Blackfire flew up and through the smoke, smashing her sister in the face with her fist and knocking Starfire backwards. Starfire tumbled through the air and landed on the ground in a cavern on the side of a mountain. Her nose was bleeding, and her head throbbed with pain; but she refused to give up.

A second later Blackfire was on top of her, holding her wrists and pinning her to the ground. Starfire grunted and tried to throw her sister off; but to no avail. Blackfire pinned her down and blasted Starfire in the face with laser beam eyes.

"You two have mastered the eye lasers?" Starfire asked her sister.

"D'oi. You think you're the only one Star? Hah." Blackfire head-butted her sister, and the back of Starfire's head hit the cave floor hard. Starfire yelled out and pushed up with her knees, knocking her sister off of her and sending Blackfire falling down deeper into the cave. Blackfire hit a rock and tumbled down into a small abyss. She grabbed onto the side, but something grabbed onto her foot and began pulling her down.

"Gah! Get offa me you korkbore!" She shouted at the beast that had her. A black, slimy tentacle was wrapped around her ankle, trying to drag her down into the darkness to a horrific fate. Below, in the unseen darkness, a monster snapped its jaws and licked its lips.

"Star, help me!" Blackfire cried to her sister.

"You ask me for help? After what you have done?" Starfire looked insulted at the very idea.

"You'd actually let your own sister die?" Blackfire asked, her voice suddenly afraid for the first time in a long time. Of course, Starfire could not watch her sister die. She did not have that in her; so she flew over and took Blackfire hand, pulling her up and breaking her free of the monster's grasp. They landed on the ledge of the abyss, sitting right next to each other.

"Thanks . . . dumb ass!" Blackfire pushed Starfire on the back and knocked her forward. Starfire screamed as the tentacle of the monster wrapped around her throat; but a second later something slashed the monster's tentacle in half. Then Starfire felt herself being pulled up.

When she opened her eyes, she saw a woman with long dark hair.

"Are you alright?" The woman asked.

"Yes." Starfire replied; then she looked around wildly for her sister – and found her lying a few feet away, unconscious. "Who are you? What has happened?"

"I knocked her in the head, and saved you. Now quickly, let's go help your friends." The mysterious woman explained. She helped Starfire to her feet, and then put a silver sword away on her belt. Starfire had a feeling as if this woman was familiar; but the idea of Robin and the other Titans in danger pushed it away, and she followed the woman out of the cave – leaving Blackfire alone, but unharmed.

She had no idea that this dark haired woman was Rose Wilson, daughter of their greatest foe.

**----**

"Beast Boy, wake up!"

Beast Boy's eyes opened and he looked up to see a worried Terra looking down at him. He sat up, still covered in the disgusting slime from the Duamathrax spawn that had died on him, and he rubbed his head.

"What happened? Where's the others?" Beast Boy asked, wiping goo from his eyes and looking around for their friends.

"They wouldn't stop to help you." Terra said, bitterness for Raven in her voice. She neglected to mention the fact that millions of innocent lives were on the line. Terra was jealous of Raven; she had been for the last two years since her revival in the Metropolis Laboratory of Lex Luthor. Now that jealousy was festering into something else. Part of her hated herself for saying such things, but part of her refused to stop it.

"Oh." Beast Boy was silent for a minute, and his face was looking down at his boots. He was silent for a moment, unknowing how he should respond to these things. Then a moment later, they heard a voice, and both of them looked up to see Starfire and an unknown woman. Starfire had the woman's hand and was flying her, when they noticed them on the ground; they stopped and landed.

"Beast Boy! Terra! What has happened?" Starfire asked, running towards them.

"We ran into some trouble." Terra informed her with a sigh, and then she looked over towards the unknown woman. "Who's that?"

"A friend," Rose replied, still hiding her identity and intentions. "We don't have much time to stop that alien from destroying Tamaran. We have to hurry."

Terra nodded and used her powers to create a rock for them to fly on, raising it out of the ground and using it like a flying craft. None of the three Titans on board knew the trouble that would be caused from Rose Wilson's presence being here. Nor did they know that soon the conflict between Terra and Raven that had been slowly rising to the surface would burst; and that too would be a disastrous situation.

**----**

The four remaining Duamathrax spawns were just outside the city now, and the Titans on back of Raven's projection knew it. They flew as close as they could without being hit by the foul smelling green goo that the Duamathrax spawns would spit at them, but none of them had any idea how to stop these vile beasts.

"There's gotta be something we can use against 'em!" Cyborg called to the others, looking down as the four horrific beasts covered even more ground.

"We haven't had any luck with our weapons." Bee reminded him. So far they had shot the Duamathrax's with Cyborg's cannon, Robin's bird-a-rangs, Bee's blasters and Robin's bombs; to no avail. Raven's powers probably would have worked; but if she stopped using her powers to transport the Titans on back of her giant black bird, then they would all fall to their dooms. The King and Queen had no weapons that could reach the enemies from this distance, and that only left Jinx.

"I could stop 'em." Jinx suddenly said, breaking the silence she had been keeping for a long while. Robin, and the others, rounded on her in an instant.

"You can? How?" Robin asked, his voice calm, but worn from stress. Stress over the Planet's fate, stress over having his fiancée missing; stress over this entire situation.

"Same way blondie did; I can use my bad luck powers to start an earthquake. If I hit a fault-line with my hexes, those critters will go down." Jinx informed the leader of the Titans.

"Then what are you waiting for?" Robin asked, his voice frantic.

"Hello? Villain, remember? Look, I'll be honest with you birdy-boy, when I thought Cyborg was on the level, I would have helped y'all. I'd have already blasted those ugly bastards . . . but fact is, robo-man isn't on the level. He's a smug, two-timing S.O.B., and I really don't _feel_ like helping you." Jinx was perfectly honest; she crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap. Robin turned on Cyborg with his eyes thin slits.

"Talk to her, see what you can do." Robin ordered him.

"Now hold on slick!" Bee buzzed up into Robin's face. "You gonna trust HER? She's a dangerous psychopath!"

"And you're an ugly bitc—" Jinx started to say, but Raven's words interrupted her.

"Bumblebee; shut your mouth until this is over. If you want to fight Jinx, do it on your own time. Cyborg; just keep your big mouth shut. You haven't seen a woman's wrath till you've seen **mine**. Jinx; you help stop those things right now or so help me God I'll make you suffer an eternal damnation in a dimension of demonic suffering." As Raven spoke, her eyes seemed to be as red as the blood flowing from her wounds, and none of the Titans had the courage to look into those haunting red orbs.

"Don't think I'm afraid of you gothy." Jinx snapped.

"You will be." Raven replied in a voice so cold and monstrous it would have made Slade cringe. Jinx did gulp, and she suddenly looked less relaxed. Raven had a genuine frightening look about her when she was mad; one of the only good things she had ever inherited from her father.

Jinx stood up and extended her arms out to her sides. She closed her eyes, and then opened them as they burned with a pinkish flame. Waves of light extended from her fingertips and burst into the ground in front of the Duamathrax monsters. The ground broke and crumbled, but there was no earthquake; the monsters did not plummet into the earth and die as Jinx had predicted.

"What's wrong? Why are you doing it?" Robin demanded. "If this is your way of getting back at Cyborg –"

"Calm down Wonder Boy; it's not my fault!" Jinx snapped back aggressively. "There are no fault lines! I need one to make a quake; it's not my damn fault I can't find one!"

"You, girl!" King Myand'r suddenly approached Jinx. "Cease this instant!"

"What? Your highness, we need her to stop them!" Robin jumped up and approached the King; but Myand'r shook his head.

"There IS a fault line near here; but if she hits it, the Earthquake will be devastating and will destroy the very city we fight to protect." The King of Tamaran informed Robin gravely. Jinx shook her head and stopped her assault on the ground; and the monsters charged forward even faster without her interference.

"So now what do we do?" Cyborg asked, biting his lip.

"We find another way!" Robin shouted; unable to accept failure or even the notion of it. "There IS another way; we just need to look harder."

"Well you better look ahead first." Bumblebee said, pointing out in front of the monster's path. "Cause I think I see the city."

Robin looked up and gasped; The Tamaranian Capital City was ahead of them, just visible in the distance. They would be there within a few minutes, and if a successful way to stop Duamathrax was not found by then . . . the city, and everyone inside, was doomed.

"We find another way!" Robin shouted; unable to accept failure or even the notion of it. "There IS another way; we just need to look harder."

"Well you better look ahead first." Bumblebee said, pointing out in front of the monster's path. "Cause I think I see the city."

Robin looked up and gasped; The Tamaranian Capital City was ahead of them, just visible in the distance. They would be there within a few minutes, and if a successful way to stop Duamathrax was not found by then . . . the city, and everyone inside, was doomed.

It was then that Robin decided something. If they could not destroy the Thrax spawns in one large attack, they would have to do so by a smaller, melee combat approach. Robin looked down below them and saw the closest of the Duamathrax Spawns. He stood up and flipped his cape over his shoulder, and then he turned to Cyborg and Raven.

"I've got an idea." He announced, a slight change in his voice. "If it doesn't work, do whatever it takes to stop them; got it?" Robin gave the order to his fellow Titans, and they realized there was something very wrong with this line of thinking for him.

"Robin, what are you gonna do man?" Cyborg asked.

"Whatever I have to." Robin replied; and he jumped off the back of Raven's astral projection in the shape of the bird she was named after. Robin plummeted through the air and landed on the back of the nearest Duamathrax spawn. At once, the spawn turned its ugly head around and roared at him; but Robin threw a small device off his belt and at the monster's mouth.

Duamathrax shot eye beam lasers at the device; but the second they hit the small, round ball; it ricocheted the beams right back at Duamathrax's head. The eye beams hit Duamathrax's eyes where they had come from, and at once the spawn's eyes exploded into pieces. The acidic blood of the beast sprayed everywhere, and Robin had to roll off the side of the hideous sibling of his dear friend, and he landed on the desert ground. A moment later, the spawn screamed and hit the ground, burning in its own acidic bodily fluids and melting into a puddle of burnt flesh and hot body fluids.

Raven's blackbird stopped and flew down next to where Robin lay. The boy wonder sat up, his clothing slightly burnt as was part of his skin. He quickly jumped back onto the blackbird of energy and then they continued their flight towards the other three Duamathrax Spawns.

"Can you do that to 'em all?" Cyborg asked, hopefully.

"I wish." Robin grunted. He looked down at his belt and sighed. "I only had one ricochet ball with me. We'll need a new approach for the other three."

"Well, then leave the next one to me. I got an idea." Cyborg said.

"What?" Jinx and Bumblebee asked at once, and suddenly their hostile, argumentative voices they had used all day melted away and were replaced by one voice; a voice of fear. At that moment, Jinx and Bee stopped and looked at each other, suddenly realizing they were both afraid of the same terrible possibility – that Cyborg could be killed by doing whatever he was about to try.

"I thought you two were mad." Cyborg grinned from ear to ear, and then he jumped off the blackbird of energy and landed on the back of another Spawn. Cyborg's heavy metal body pinned the beast down at once, and when it twisted its ugly head around, Cyborg fired both of his sonic cannons at once and smashed the ugly creature in the eyes; its eyes exploded as they had when Robin killed the first Spawn. Cyborg climbed off the back of this beast and boarded the blackbird again; and they all understood now.

His eyes were his weakness.

"Well, at least we know how to kill them." Raven announced, but it was clear that her mind was not thinking about the two remaining Spawns or the millions of Tamaranians whose lives were hanging in the balance of the outcome of this mission. She was thinking about Terra, and Beast Boy, and what he must be thinking to have Terra, not Raven, coming to his rescue.

Ahead of them on the ground, the two remaining spawns suddenly stopped and turned around. They both roared with fury at Raven's flying blackbird of energy, and began firing eye lasers at the Titans above them. Myand'r was almost struck by a blast, but Robin knocked his future father-in-law down away from the yellow laser ray. Raven could not retaliate, but Bumblebee and Cyborg did. Both of them shot their own unique attacks at the two remaining spawns, but the beasts closed their eyes before either Bee or Cyborg's attacks could reach them.

"Well, that's no good." Cyborg sighed.

Suddenly, to the amazement of the Titans on the flying blackbird; the ground opened up in front of the last two spawns and they fell inside. A moment later, the ground crunched down on them from either side and they were smashed flat. The group turned to see Starfire, Terra, Rose and Beast Boy flying towards them on the back of a gigantic rock. Raven's heart skipped a beat at seeing that Beast Boy was okay, and her face fell seeing the green teen sitting next to Terra on the rock.

"_What's wrong with you Raven? You know he has no feelings for her anymore. Stop this nonsense."_ Raven insisted to herself mentally, but still, she could not shake the feeling that there would be trouble brewing. Then her eyes set on Rose and she got another feeling of grave danger, but she ignored this feeling because a split second later Beast Boy jumped from the back of the rock and threw his arms around her. Raven was so relieved for this reaction, that she forgot all about her foreboding feeling with Rose.

Robin and Starfire hugged too; and Starfire introduced Robin to Rose, claiming that Rose had saved her life. That was enough to win the respect of both Robin and Myand'r, who was now hugging his daughter, thanking the Titans for helping to save Tamaran's capital city, and telling them it was time they returned to the palace for the wedding preparations.

And as the Titans all headed towards the Palace, Rose smiled; her father's plan was coming together beautifully.

**---- ---- ---- ---- ----**

I swear the next update will be faster than the previous ones. Again, I apologize for the long, long wait.

In much better news, the next chapter "The Day Before" will feature a TON of romance, some drama, and the big confrontation between Raven and Terra. I can hardly wait, can you?


	44. The Day Before

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Forty-Four**

"**The Day Before"**

**A/N:** When this one is done, only five shall remain. I dedicate this, the sixth to last chapter to my close friend/archnemesis, **Darth CHoW**. I even went ahead and threw in a bit of your favorite pairing. **NOT MUCH**! Just a bit. XD And only for drama. If only my brainwashing machine worked, I could turn you to BB/Rae. -shrugs- I guess making a brainwashing machine out of potatoes isn't a good idea...

******---- ---- ---- ---- ----**

Robin was standing beneath the alter now, looking at the faces of all his friends as he waited for Starfire to come out from the palace. Starfire's father, the King, stood behind him; he would be handling the ceremony himself. Robin looked down the aisle, expecting to see his blushing bride emerging from the palace on Tamaran; instead he saw a man wearing an orange and black mask, and next to him was a second man; this one bore a strong resemblance to a clown.

"Did you really think you'd wind up with a girl as pretty as her?" The Joker asked as he whipped out his pistol and shot Robin in the leg. Robin screamed, and suddenly he realized that all the people around were not his friends; they were his foes. Red X, the Riddler, Kitten, Two-Face, Mad Mod, Ding Dong Daddy; all of his foes were around him at his wedding.

"Oh don't worry Robin, I'll take real good care of her." Red X laughed, and Robin noticed that Starfire was standing right beside him. Then he noticed X's hand looked _very_ comfortable on Starfire's thigh. Then Robin screamed, but a moment later Slade stepped forward and cut his head off with a large broadsword.

With a scream Robin jolted awake, covered in sweat. He looked around, but quickly realized that it was the middle of the night on the day _before_ his wedding day. It had only been a dream brought on by nerves, and perhaps too much of that strange Tamaranian dish he had eaten for dinner.

Whereas Robin's misfortune was in the form of a dream, another of the Teen Titans was facing a very real problem. Cyborg was sitting on a bench in the middle of the hallway, watching danger fast approach from every direction. It wasn't that he couldn't pick between Bumblebee and Jinx – for in fact he already had. He was just mortally afraid of how the loser would take rejection. Both women were very scary when angry.

Then Cyborg spotted a shadow. Someone was approaching him. He groaned, fearing it may be one of the girls. However, when the owner of the shadow stepped into light, he found that it was not one of the girls at all – instead it was Beast Boy.

"What are you doing here?" Cyborg asked him. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"No." Beast Boy told him right away. "I'm afraid."

"Of what?" Cyborg asked, amused look present on his face.

"Raven dude. She's mad at me." Beast Boy told him. "If I go back to my room, she'll be able to find me."

"Aside from the fact Raven could probably do the psychic thing and find you anyway, why are you hiding from her in the first place?" Cyborg asked.

Beast Boy sighed and leaned back in his seat. "It's Terra dude. Ever since she saved me from the big ugly alien guys, she's been... different."

"You mean she's been a bit more obvious on her liking you?" Cyborg asked, raising his human eyebrow.

"Cy... no. Terra and I talked two years ago when she first came back... she said she didn't like me anymore." Beast Boy told his mechanical friend.

"Was this before or after she found out you were dating Raven?" Cyborg asked.

"Umm... does it matter?" Beast Boy sighed.

"Hell yes it matters! BB buddy, you know Terra. She's not exactly had a great run with being our friend... if she knew you were dating Raven, of course she'd deny having feelings for you, because she'd be afraid she'd split up the team, again, and we'd hate her." Cyborg attempted to explain in his logical sense.

"But we'd never hate Terra!" Beast Boy announced.

"I know that, you know that; does she?" Cyborg asked sagely.

"Wow... well... it doesn't matter, does it?" Beast Boy asked nervously.

"Well, if Terra likes you as much as you think then yeah, it matters. I mean, this could hurt you and Raven. You know Raven." Cyborg told him.

"Yeah, but... dude, Terra's my friend now. She used to be a lot more, but that's over." Beast Boy said, sounding sure but worried.

"That doesn't mean Terra wants to be 'just friends'. And to be honest, I wouldn't want to be on the bad side of either of those girls. You outta talk to her BB. If not . . ." Cyborg drew a finger across his neck in a dramatic motion.

"You're one to talk. Dude, Jinx, Bumblebee -- what's all that about?"

"Don't hate me 'cause the girls love me." Cyborg grinned.

**----**

Back on Earth in the middle of a mountain range sits The Brain's castle. It is here that the Brotherhood of Evil has their main base, and it is there that The Brain, Monsieur Mallah, Madam Rouge and General Immortus all sat around a table with five seats. The fifth seat was contained by Slade Wilson, who had a strange metallic device sitting in front of him. He crossed his fingers and looked at the Brotherhood's Leaders with his menacing single-eye.

"This," Slade informed them. "Is Duamathrax's mind manipulation device. With your superior intellect you can reprogram it to work as a mind-control device. Of course, it won't be cheap."

"I. Can. Pay. You. Anything. You. Want. Mister. Wilson." The Brain responded.

"I desire no money." Slade told him flat out. "What I want is simple. I'll give you the power to conquer the world, but in return you must give me access to everything in the Paris Museum."

"That. Is. All. You. Want?" The Brain asked.

"Indeed." Slade informed him, beneath his mask, a dark and sinister smile on his lips.

"Why?" Monsieur Mallah asked, raising a hairy eyebrow.

"Because there are things inside the museum I want." Slade told them. "It's a simple deal."

"There is no such thing." General Immortus announced. "I've been around long enough to know better. You have an angle, and though I do not yet know what it is, I doubt we should agree so easily."

Slade laughed. "Fine. Take your time and investigate my angle, but remember that the Teen Titans are currently on another planet and the Justice League is busy in Gotham, the Joker unleashed some nerve gas yesterday. If you want to blow this chance, be my guest."

The Brain did not like not knowing Slade's angle, but he knew he needed to hurry with this new prize. . .

**----**

Whereas Robin was nervous and unable to sleep, Starfire was dreaming peacefully in a deep slumber. She was having good dreams of what her life would be like soon, after the wedding. Sadly her dreams were about to be interrupted by her greatest, deepest, darkest fear of all.

As Starfire squirmed beneath her blanket, the door cracked open slowly and someone slipped inside. It was Rose the Ravager, Slade's daughter, of course. Rose looked at the sleeping Starfire and her hand relaxed on the grip of her sword. Her father had ordered them all dead; but if Starfire was stabbed to death with Rose's sword, it would be suspicious.

So Rose had captured something to kill her with. A local animal from Tamaran that could easily kill Starfire without arising suspicion. Rose placed a brown sack on the ground and flipped it open, a long pink snake crawled out -- a enormous shoe-worm.

Rose quickly left the room, shutting the door on her wait out; she expected the shoe-worm to kill Starfire in her sleep, so now she had to go plan the deaths of the others.

**----**

Raven was in the royal library. Yes, it was the middle of the night, but she prefered the night to the day; and she prefered these books as opposed to her bedroom. If she went up there, Beast Boy might show up, and she couldn't see him now.

Raven felt bad. It was ironic, Beast Boy was hiding from her because he was afraid she was mad, and she was hiding from him for the same reason. The previous day, she had saved the lives of millions -- and risked his own. She had made the right choice, she knew she had. If she had tried to save the person she loved, millions would be dead, and Raven could not do that. She feared he was angry at her, she feared this would give Terra the perfect excuse to come between them.

Raven sighed and looked through the book in front of her, not really seeing the words. That's when someone's voice reached her ear, a familiar, female voice.

"Hey Raven, can we talk?" Terra asked, sitting down across the table from Raven.

"I have a feeling you won't leave even if I say no." Raven responded, not looking up from the page. "So I may as well say yes."

"Here's the thing." Terra said, looking over at Raven with a peculiar look on her face. "When I came back... when Luthor brought me back and tried to use my powers for evil, all I could think about was seeing you guys again. That was it, that was all I wanted... then... look, when I saw you and Beast Boy together, it hurt, but I didn't care because he seemed happy. For two years I've sat back and watched because I thought you would treat him right--"

"I do." Raven cut her off coldly.

"The hell you do! You almost let him _die_ yesterday!" Terra snapped loudly.

"Make no mistake Terra, **I love him**. He may be weird and annoying, but I love him. I don't, however, love him enough to sacrifice millions of innocent men, women and children for him. It hurts to say this, but our job is unique. We have to make choices and sacrifices for the greater good."

"Letting Beast Boy die is the greater good?" Terra asked in an icy voice.

"Would you honestly save someone important to you if it meant ending millions of innocent lives?" Raven asked, just as cold. "Would you be that selfish and cold?"

"Raven... I just don't see how you could do that. How you could leave him behind and not even try to save him!" Terra yelled at her.

"Why do you think he _needs_ saving? He's a superhero, just like us. He can take care of himself." Raven justified. "Just because you don't have faith enough in him to believe that, doesn't mean I don't."

Terra sighed, then she stood up and ran a hand through her long blonde hair and chewed on the end of it, looking at Raven.

"... When I thought you loved him, I didn't care if you were together. Now that I'm not so sure, I'm going to do everything I can to get him back." Terra informed her harshly.

"Fine." Raven said simply. "But he got over you a long time ago."

Terra turned and walked out of the royal library, muttering something that sounded a lot like "We'll see" as she went. Raven went back to her book. She denied it, but she was secretly worried about Beast Boy's heart. Had she ruined the best thing to ever happen to her?

**----**

Robin was sitting on the balcony of the castle, looking at the Tamaranian night sky and he sighed deeply. Then a soft female voice shook his attention.

"Hello Robin."

Robin turned around, and he saw Luand'r, the Queen of Tamaran and Starfire's mother. They had never really spoken, except on a couple of occasions, and never alone. Now she was out on this balcony alone with him, and she walked up beside him, leaned on the railing of the balcony, and looked up at the skies.

"My daughter loves you." Luand'r said.

"And I love her." Robin replied.

"I do not doubt that." Luand'r told him. "And that is why I am looking forward to tomorrow."

"As am I."

"You understand that by marrying my daughter, you shall inheritaly be a member of this planet's Royal Family?" Luand'r questioned further.

"I'm just happy to be part of a family again." Robin admitted, having lost his own family a long time ago. Though he had Batman, and the Titans as well were as one great family to him.

Robin was about to explain more, he was about to share his feelings with his soon-to-be mother-in-law, however, a scream pierced the night and Robin whirled around in an instant. He recognized that scream, he knew who had shouted it, and in a flash he ran back into the castle, drawing a bird-a-rang from his belt and shouting his fiance's name.

"Starfire!"

Robin ran down the hall faster than he could remember, and the next thing he knew he was outside her door, and he kicked it in. There he saw Starfire on the bed, a shoe-worm lying inches in front of her. She was shaking from head to toe and frozen in place. The shoe-worm was reared up like a cobra ready to strike.

Robin froze. He knew that one false move could cost Starfire her life. Robin stared at Starfire's green eyes, and he knew he had to act now. He gave her a small nod, and then he threw the bird-a-rang; it cut the Shoe-Worm's head off just as it lunged at her exposed leg. Robin ran to the bedside and looked at Starfire.

"Are you alright?" He asked her at once.

Starfire did not respond, she just threw her arms around him in a tight hug. Unfortunately, at that moment nearly everyone else showed up from hearing the scream. Beast Boy, Cyborg, Bumblebee, Jinx, Raven, Terra and King Myand'r all arrived. That was not the unfortunate part. The unfortunate part was that none of them noticed the dead shoe-worm, all they noticed was a half-naked Starfire hugging Robin a little too tightly, which was the most likely cause of Myand'r's angry scowl.

It wasn't until later, after all of the confusion and jokes calmed down, that it was found out the actual reason for what happened. A shoe-worm had been in her room, which instantly made the King insane because he had, the last time the Titans were here, ordered the entire castle searched for shoe-worms and all of them destroyed. Now he was angry beyond belief.

"How could a shoe-worm get in this castle?" Myand'r demanded.

"I do not know dear." Luand'r answered him.

The entire group was now sitting in the throne room around the King's table. Robin, Terra, Raven, Beast Boy, Rose, Cyborg and a fully-dressed Starfire were now listening to the King go crazy.

"This isn't possible!" Myand'r said loudly, banging his fist on the table.

"Perhaps someone let it in." Rose suggested.

"Who could do such a thing?" The King asked, astonished.

"Well... I did see a man earlier roaming around the castle." Rose confirmed. "He looked... odd."

"What do you mean?" Raven asked.

"He didn't dress like a Tamaranian, and he wasn't big like a Tamaranian either." Rose told her. "He had a weird mask on, too."

"A weird mask?" Beast Boy asked.

"Yeah, I remember it was strange because there was only one eye hole on the mask." Rose informed them, and a mutual groan emitted from several of the Titans.

"What is it?" Luand'r asked.

"Slade." Robin said, curling his fist and banging it on the table.

"How many times have we killed him?" Cyborg asked.

"I lost count." Terra admitted, placing her head in her hands and sighing.

"We have to find him, and stop him." Robin said, standing up. "We'll split up into teams of two to go looking for him. Starfire and I will cover the castle wall, Bumblee, Beast Boy, check upstairs, Raven, Jinx, check this floor, Terra, Rose, check downstairs; Cyborg, you go with the King and Queen to the security room and check the computers."

**----**

As everyone was searching the castle, Rose and Terra were in the bottom floor checking for some sign of Slade.

"Who is this guy?" Rose asked, though she already knew the answer.

"He's a bastard." Terra said simply. "He ruined my life, more than once."

"You were... his apprentice?" Rose asked. She was standing behind Terra as the two searched the dark room alone.

"Yeah I wa... wait, how did you know that?" Terra asked.

"Because my name is Rose _Wilson_." Rose informed her. "I'm Slade's daughter, and new apprentice."

Before Terra could even comprehend the words, she felt a sharp pain in the arm and looked down to see Rose pressing a needle in her skin and injecting something. Terra wretched away, but it was too late, her vision was already becoming blurry and she moaned and fainted.

Rose looked down at the blonde's unconcious body, and smirked evily. Everything was going perfectly. Now the Titans were split up and vulnerable, and she had already taken one of them down. The one Rose hated worst of all for betraying her father.

Now she just had to get the rest of them.

**---- ---- ---- ---- ----**

I realize this was shorter, and it took longer to write, but my beloved grandmother is in the hospital due to super high blood pressure. Those of you who are religious, please pray for her. Her name is Linda.

The next six chapters coming ASAP.


	45. The Day Of

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Forty-Five**

"The Day Of"

**A/N:** What is drama? Drama is chapter forty-five! Which shall be dedicated to **Infamous One**.

Sadly, because of personal life and my duties as an Admin on another website, I probably won't have this fic done by Valentine's Day like I originally hopped. I guess that just means it'll be going on for more than one year, like I had hoped. Ah, well, no big deal. Hope it's been a good year for all of you to read, I know I've had fun. (Aside from the surgery.)

**---- ---- ---- ---- ----**

About an hour after the search of the castle, the titans returned and met up in the throne room, unable to find anyone. Neither Terra nor Rose returned, and that only added to the troubles going on inside the throne room. Though everyone else had regrouped, things remained bleak. Rose and Terra were missing, and the Titans could only speculate as to the reasons why.

"Where could they be?"

"Maybe whoever let the shoe worms in has them." Raven theorized. It was now common knowledge that someone who wanted the redheaded princess dead had placed the show worm in Starfire's bedroom – the question was who had this person been, and where were they now?

"Dude, somebody's trying to kill us." Beast Boy stated.

"Somebody's always trying to kill us, BB." Cyborg reminded him.

"Something doesn't make sense." Robin said to the group. "There's something we're overlooking. There has to be!"

"Heroes." It was Myand'r, who had just entered his personal throne room. He carried with him a blood soaked piece of fabric, at first, no one recognized it, but with a gasp, Raven realized what it was.

"That's the sleeve of Terra's shirt." She said, able to feel Terra's energy coming off the shirtsleeve, which had been torn off and covered in blood. Robin took it from the king and looked at it, and then he sighed with relief.

"Dude?" Beast Boy asked, wondering what relief he found in this.

"Look at the blood spatter patterns. Someone cut this off Terra's shirt before it was soaked in blood; meaning she is probably fine. It was done to try to scare us." Robin informed him, and that caused a collective sigh of relief from everyone around them.

"Where did you find it, father?" Starfire asked, flying beside the King.

"It was left on the main steps of the palace." He told them, and then he held up a note that was written in English, instead of Tamaranian. "Along with this."

Robin took the note and read it over twice silently, and then he read it aloud for everyone to hear, anger surging in his voice, as he had to read the words written by someone who was horrible.

"_Dear Titans, by this time you've probably found Terra and I missing. Unfortunately, for you, I am fine, but she will not be for long. Not far from the castle are the ruins of a Tamaranian Temple. Go there, if you wish to find your friend.  
Consider this payback, for what you have done to my father repeatedly. She will be dead by morning, if you do not come._

_Yours truly, Rose "The Ravager" Wilson._"

When Robin finished reading it, everyone was silent for a moment, and then Myand'r asked, because he did not know. "Who is this Rose Wilson?"

"Wilson... dude, she can't be." Beast Boy asked Robin, but Robin shook his head.

"We all saw that woman with Slade back on Earth. It looks like he's got a daughter; not good news for us, but even worse for him."

"Rose is... oh my God, Robin..." Starfire's eyes watered up with tears, but he placed a hand on his future bride's shoulder.

"We're going to stop her. Titans, let's go get our friend back, and teach Slade he should have just stayed dead this time." Robin decided, anger emanating from his body as he shook.

**----**

"Are you certain you don't want any aid?" Myand'r asked, looking at Robin as the Titans prepared to leave for the abandoned temple to save Terra from Rose. Myand'r was worried, and wanted to send troops with them.

"No. This is something we're going to do ourselves." Robin told him. "Thanks, but no thanks."

"Please, let us help you! We can bombard that temple with troops and defeat this vile woman!" Myand'r shouted, slamming one fist into the other palm. "We will send an entire army brigade out there, we will tear the temple apart and stop this vile madwoman!"

"No sir, we have to do this ourselves; to make sure our friend comes back alive." Robin informed him, and the Titans set out to rescue Terra from Slade's demented daughter.

**----**

In a dark and abandoned temple, not far from the Tamaranian Capital City, Terra was chained to a wall with metal bindings. Unfortunately, she could not escape from this temple. Why? The walls were made of stone, the roof was stone, and if she used her powers to break free of the wall, the entire building would come down on them and crush them both to death. Terra sighed; Rose was working on a computer, talking to Slade back on Earth.

"Are you going to kill me?" Terra asked.

"Not yet. Not until all the Titans are here, so I can kill you all together." Rose informed her, and she slipped her hand down to her waist and removed a small, sharp knife from her belt. Terra's eyes widened slightly in fear as she saw the silvery blade in Rose's hand.

"Didn't we just agree you wouldn't kill me?" Terra asked, watching the knife in Rose's fingers.

"Hmm. You will survive what I plan to do. Father wanted to make sure you suffered. You know he spent months as a slave to a demon because of what you did to him. Because of what you put him through, you ungrateful, evil woman!" Rose spat, her words becoming so venomous they seemed to radiate a powerful hatred from her body.

Rose's face was now mere centimeters from Terra's, and she pressed the knife against Terra's cheek. Terra felt the blade dig into her skin, and she felt the warm sear as her flesh was torn, and the cold drip of blood that fell down her flesh onto the icy blade.

"I need you alive, Terra, but not in good condition." Rose informed her, and then she took the knife off Terra's face, watching the tears of pain fall from her eyes and sting on her torn skin. Rose laughed and put the knife down on the table, and then she turned to her computer to send a message to her father.

Then the computer exploded; and Rose had to jump back to escape shrapnel from the blast. She looked up and saw Robin standing at the far end of the temple; he had tossed a pocket-sized bomb towards the computer and destroyed it. Rose growled and went for her knife, but the knife was covered in black energy and would not move -- apparently, Raven had done this while she was not looking.

Raven was behind Rose now, using her demonic powers to seal the knife against the table, keeping it away from Rose's use. However, Rose had a full-fledged sword on her belt, and she went for that. She grabbed the sword out of the sheathe and ran across the room to impale the blade into Raven's chest -- however, before she was halfway across the room, a big green anaconda wrapped around her legs and tripped her. She screamed in fury and tried to stab Beast Boy; but he morphed into a hummingbird and was gone before she could chop him in half.

Rose stood up, but as she did, Bumblebee blasted her right hand with her electric, golden "B" shaped weapon and Rose dropped her sword. A moment later Jinx used her bad luck powers to crumble the step on which Rose sat, and she went falling down several stairs, to where Cyborg waited to knock her out with a powerful punch from his broad metallic arm.

With Rose unconscious and Cyborg wrapping a rope around her arms and legs, it looked like everything on Tamaran was done. If only Robin had not destroyed the computer, they would know what havoc was being caused on their own world -- but they did not. Raven approached Terra and freed her from the wall, and Terra fell to her knees, clutching her cut face with one hand. Her other arm hung at her side, limp and bleeding.

"Let me try to fix those up." Raven said to her friend, and began to heal Terra's wounds.

"How'd you guys get in here without her knowing?" Terra asked as the wounds began to vanish and the blood dried up.

"I made a portal. It's a demon thing." Raven replied, and then she took her hands off Terra's face, which was healed now. Terra stood up and sighed, but before she could speak, Beast Boy had screamed.

Everyone turned around, but Rose was standing up. She had freed herself from the ropes, knocked Cyborg down, and grabbed one of Bumblebee's golden "B" shaped weapons and held it to Beast Boy's throat. Rose was panting and bleeding but she was far from defeated.

"Terra, draw her attention." Raven whispered, but before Terra could respond, Raven had vanished -- sunken into a portal in the floor and gone without a trace. Terra knew she had to do something, or Beast Boy was a goner -- and she remembered what she had said to Raven before. She remembered how she had claimed Raven did not care about him enough, and now Raven had vanished again, apparently not caring about Beast Boy.

Terra stood up, but in a flash, Rose pressed the golden B into Beast Boy's neck harder, making the green teen cry out in pain. Terra stopped, not sure, how she could get close enough to save Beast Boy without risking losing his life.

Then, in a flash of black light, Rose was on the ground screaming. Raven's hooded form was at least three times taller than normal, and four red eyes glowed from beneath Raven's hood. Rose was lose beneath her cloak, and Beast Boy was lying safely on the ground a few feet away. All of the Titans watched as Rose screamed from beneath Raven's cloak for thirty seconds; before Raven released her and returned to normal. Raven staggered backwards a bit, and Rose was not moving. Her mask was gone, and her face was pale white.

Terra paused when she saw the result. Then she heard Raven's voice in her head.

"_I love him, and I'll fight for him. I hope you believe me now._"

**----**

**Mt. Gandrake**

Robin was standing beneath the alter now, waiting for Starfire. They had defeated Rose, and she was in a Tamaranian Prison now, where she would spend the rest of her life. They knew that Slade was out there somewhere, and they knew he would be a problem when they returned to Earth; but for now, they were not worried. Instead, now was the time for the wedding, just as Robin and Starfire had begun planning a long time ago.

On top of the mountain, as the stars and planets aligned, Robin was waiting for his beautiful bride to come up to his side. The moonlight illuminated the flat top of the mountain, and the young black haired hero waited impatiently. It was hard to be patient when the greatest moment of your life was about to begin.

Not far away, Beast Boy and Raven were looking down the side of the mountain, overlooking the nighttime of Tamaran's mountain. Without warning, Raven placed her arm around the shorter green teen and pulled him close to her. Though Beast Boy was hardly complaining about such a thing, he did smile up at her and wonder.

"Rae? Why the sudden affection?"

"Would you prefer I go back to making fun of you?" Raven asked in her monotone, sarcastic voice.

"Naw. But I would prefer we ditch the weddin' scene and go make out in the dark caves." Beast Boy hinted, but apparently she missed the hint because she made no move to go towards the dark caves below them, and instead she remained looking at the silvery surface of the alien planet. Beast Boy shrugged, and put his own arm around her, enjoying the warmth of her embrace.

Cyborg, meanwhile, was in the other side of the small circle where the wedding would take place, and Jinx and Bumblebee were both looking at him with their arms crossed and their eyes expectant.

"What? Now?" Cyborg asked.

"Yes." Bumblebee answered.

"Now." Jinx enforced.

"I can't choose _now_. It's my bud wedding day. Give me till tomorrow." Cyborg asked them both with a pleading puppy dog look on his face.

"No." Bumblebee responded harshly.

"Now." Jinx repeated, a threat in the tone of her voice.

"Err . . . well, see, it's like this." Cyborg was fidgeting, trying to buy himself some time, but at that very moment a trumpet sounded and Starfire came through the door, wearing a beautiful white wedding dress, cut in the traditional Tamaranian style, and Cyborg was saved from having to speak.

Robin paused, unable to speak. He watched Starfire walk down the aisle towards him, and his memory was flooded with memories of the past three years, and all the good and bad that had come with those times. Mostly the good, the moments when he knew he had fallen in love with the perfect woman.

From his forced confession at Shady's arrival, to their trials in the Trials and everything that had come afterwards. When he almost lost her to Slade, and when they had saved each others lives on countless occasions. Every memory that seemed to cement their relationship was in his mind, and when she finally reached his side, Robin did not know where to begin.

"Starfire . . ."

**----**

"Your. Daughter. Has. Failed."

Back on Earth, Slade was sitting in the Brain's _new_ palace, where a gigantic machine sat, unleashing the Brain's mind-control over the entire planet and population. Slade was amused at what the Brain had to say.

"Yes, she has, but I don't quite care." Slade informed the Brain. "After Earth has bent to our will, I can free her from Tamaran after their society becomes slaves as well."

"Our. Will? You. Forget. That. You. Work. For. Me." The Brain's hollow, mechanical voice spoke harshly.

"No, you forget that I gave you power, and I can take it away just as quickly." Slade replied, a dastardly smile under his double-colored mask. The Brain was not amused, but made no remark.

"What. Of. The. Justice. League?" The Brain asked.

"Defeated." Slade replied, a satisfied tone to his voice at the announcement of their crippling defeat.

"And. The. United. Nations?"

"The same as the superheroes. Every word leader, every Superhero, and every citizens on the planet earth is now under your complete control – every one, of course, aside from myself." Slade told him, crossing his hands and laughing maniacally.

"Indeed." The Brain replied. "Now. We. Discuss. Your. Side. Of. The. Bargain."

"All I require is the same thing I asked you for before – a relic from the Paris Museum." Slade told him, sticking to his simple request.

"Very. Well. Take. What. You. Want. Mr. Wilson." The robotic brain told Slade, but Slade was amused. It was like the Brain really believed himself to be in charge of all things, when Slade knew that was not the case at all.

"I already have, my robots have loaded my payment to my new base. I'm certain we'll see each other soon, Mr. Brain."

"Indeed. For. Soon. The. Teen. Titans. Will. Return. And. When. They. Do. We. Will. Crush. Them. All."

**----**

On Tamaran, things were good. Robin and Starfire embraced, their lips met for the first time as husband and wife, and they were as happy as anyone could ever be.

On Earth, men and women who had once been just as happy screamed as the Brain's troops invaded their homes, stole, looted, burnt and destroyed whatever they pleased, for whatever stupid reason they thought of.

On Tamaran, Raven and Beast Boy stayed up the entire night, watching the sun rise from behind the clouds as the moon disappeared, their arms around one another. Neither spoke words, and neither had to; because they were happy, and together, as they were meant to be.

On Earth, blood pooled in the streets, brave men and women who refused to bend to the Brain's will were mowed down, their corpses left on the empty street as a sign to any who would defy the new ruler of the planet.

On Tamaran, Cyborg was the only unhappy soul, as he tried to figure out how he would choose between the sorceress who had stolen his heart, and the beautiful, street-wise woman whom he had given it to willingly.

And On Earth, only one man was happy, and that man was Slade Wilson. He stood behind an ancient prize that had been in the Paris Museum for centuries, with no one knowing the incredible power it held. No one, from the Brain to Mumbo or even the late Trigon the Terrible had any clue as to what kind of unstoppable power was locked in that simple museum – but now Slade not only knew, he had found the source of that power.

Slade watched in delight – for now he had it, the ultimate source of power, destruction and undeniable might. He would be the greatest creature ever born into this, or any, world – for now he had might beyond might, sight beyond sight, and power that was unmatched and unrivaled. Now he had the greatest treasure of all, and he intended to use it to capture the entire universe as his Kingdom.

The era of Slade's dominance had begun. No longer was he a hired gun – now he was the Master of Everything he saw, touched or smelt. Slade had become the most powerful warrior in all the known worlds, and no one would be able to stop him.

And now he just had to wait for his chance to prove all of this to the Teen Titans, upon their return.

**----**

Robin lay in bed now, a sleeping Starfire beside him, looking up at the ceiling. He no longer wore his mask, and he was happy. It seemed like today, even after the events of earlier, had been a good day.

If only he knew how wrong he was.

**---- ---- ---- ----- ----**

That was shorter than usual, I know, but I have been horribly busy as of lately. The next few chapters will be longer, better and will pick up the pace with all the action, romance and surprise endings I know you want. Coming soon . . .

The conclusion to the Cyborg/Bee/Jinx triangle! The resolution of Terra's personal conflicts! And a big bang of a finale for our couples, as well as the hardest thing Robin and Beast Boy could even imagine facing.

So keep reading, keep reviewing, and I'll keep writing. :3


	46. Home, Sweet Home

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Forty-Six**

"Home, Sweet Home"

**A/N:** Dedicated to **ShiningAstra13**. Short notes today.

**---- ---- ---- ---- ----**

As the ship flew back towards earth, everyone was happy aboard. Robin and Starfire sat in the back, holding hands and not speaking. It seemed that even the knowledge that Slade was still out there could not dampen Robin's spirit today.

Whereas Robin and Starfire sat in the front, happy and oblivious to their surroundings, one of the fellow Titans was not as lucky. Robin and Starfire's relationship was now sealed in stone forever, and Raven and Beast Boy had overcome their recent problems and come back to a happy place. Cyborg, however, was not so lucky.

He was currently hiding in the engine room. Jinx and Bumblebee had left him alone during the wedding ceremony, but ever since they had been hounding him, trying to get him to decide once and for all. Both of them had threatened to simply leave him, not caring what he decided -- but he knew better than that. Dating was hard for a super person, so when a relationship with some potential is found, it's rarely let go of.

Cyborg sighed, he did not know what to do. Either way he would be hurting someone he cared about, and either way he would be hurting himself too. Cyborg sighed, rubbed his head, and then looked around the harsh mechanical engine room. He stood up, looked around to make sure he was alone, and when he was satisfied he was alone, he walked out a few steps.

"Man . . . what am I going to do?"

"Don't ask me, I'm not good at these things."

Cyborg almost collapsed as someone spoke, but when he turned around it was just Terra, who was wandering around the engine room because -- wait, why was she wandering around this engine room? Cyborg knew it was better to talk about her than him, especially with what was going on with him.

"What are you doing down here?" Cyborg asked.

"Bothering you." Terra smirked childishly.

"Yeah, great, go away." Cyborg grumpily replied.

"Okay! I'll just go hang out with Bumblebee and Jinx." Terra grinned almost evilly, and Cyborg quickly grabbed her wrist and kept her from leaving the engine room.

"What is it you want?" Cyborg asked, an annoyed look on his face.

"Actually if I can be serious for a second," Terra said, her face becoming less mischievous and becoming more somber. "You need to stop what you're doing. You're going to wind up losing both of them, I guarantee it."

"Man, that's what everybody keeps sayin', but you just don't understand." Cyborg sighed, placing his head in his hands. "It's not like I can just flip a coin to choose. I mean, Bee's great, you know? We have chemistry, things are pretty good . . . but at the same time, she's so bossy and demanding sometimes; then again so is Jinx, all the time . . . but, argh, I don't know, there's just something about Jinx that's so great . . . you know what I mean?"

Terra blinked and shook her head. "Nope, not a clue."

Cyborg sighed and leaned back. Terra patted his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him, and offered him some words of wisdom.

"Listen, Cy . . . you can sit here arguing with yourself all day, but in the end it comes down to one thing: which one of them would make you happy?"

Cyborg thought about those words, and he understood the sense that they made. However, before he had a chance to think about it, much less decide between the two girls, the entire ship lunged forward. Cyborg fell on the ground, Terra did too, and both looked around.

"What was that?" Terra asked. "The atmosphere?"

"No, something hit us. Hard." Cyborg announced, standing up. He grabbed his T-Communicator and called to the front of the ship, to Robin. "What's going on man?"

"We're under attack. Get up here, now!" Robin called through the T-Com.

"Who's attacking us? Slade?" Cyborg asked as he ran towards the door of the engine room.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Robin replied.

When Cyborg and Terra did reach the cockpit of the plane, they looked out the window and both gasped. By this time all of the Titans had made it to the room, and all were watching the same strange scene.

A man in blue tights and a red cape was flying alongside the ship. All at once he blasted the Tamaranian ship with blood red lasers from his eyes, and the ship shook and the lights flickered.

"No freakin' way!" Beast Boy shouted. "Dude, why is Superman attacking us?"

"Good question!" Cyborg agreed.

"We don't know. We tried contacting him, but he won't respond." Robin informed them. "He's just attacking us randomly, and he won't respond to -- argh!"

The ship shook again. Superman had just tackled the ship from the side, knocking it aloof and the Tamaranian cruiser shook out of control and spun around.

"Something's wrong with him." Raven announced.

"Gee, you think?" Jinx scowled.

"No, I mean something's really wrong with him. I can't sense any consciousness coming from him." Raven informed the rest of the team. "It's like he has no mind."

"No mind?" Beast Boy gulped, not liking the sound of that at all. "He's a zombie!"

"He's not a zombie." Robin said sternly. "It sounds like some sort of mind control."

"Probably." Raven agreed, and then the ship gave a second gigantic lunge as Superman kicked the side of it and nearly tore it in half. "I don't think I could break the control on his mind. There's something else at work."

"Well, whatever the cause, we have to stop him." Robin said, pounding one fist onto the other.

"Fight Superman? That doesn't sound good man." Cyborg replied.

"But Robin, he is on our side." Starfire told her husband.

"Yeah, but something's wrong with him, and if we don't stop him, he'll tear the ship apart." Robin replied.

"Another problem." Bumblebee added. "Starfire can survive in space, but what about the rest of us?"

"Didn't we restock on space suits?" Robin asked, astonished that they could forget to do so after what had happened on the way to Tamaran.

"Uhh . . . about that . . ." Beast Boy gulped, fidgeting in his seat.

"Dang it." Terra sighed, and then the ship was struck again, and the ship began to spin out of control. A red light began flashing and an alarm sounded loudly in the Titans' ears. The ship began falling, smoke and fire coming out of the back as it rocketed towards the atmosphere.

"Damn!" Cyborg screamed, grabbing the controls and trying to stop the ship from crashing. However, as it hit the atmosphere flames began to rocket around the Titans, and there was much screaming. Raven consumed the Titans in her powers, protecting them as the ship was ripped into hundreds of pieces and crashed in the middle of the ocean.

The good news was they were near Jump City, and had only hit the waters; and with Raven's bubble of energy, they were more or less unharmed as they sunk down into the deep, dark waters. As they crashed, the waters something pushed them out of the water and onto the shore.

"What the hell was that?" Jinx asked as the group made it onto land and she shook water out of her hair. Cyborg sighed, less than an hour ago he was worrying about his own love triangle, and now he had a much bigger problem.

As the Titans dried themselves off, Aqualad walked out of the bay and sighed in relief.

"Man, where have you guys been?" He asked.

"Busy." Bumblebee replied. "What's going on here?"

"Trouble." Aqualad replied. "Not long ago, everyone started going crazy! People revolted in the streets and rioted, Superheroes went as bad as the villains they were supposed to catch, and some crazy union took power."

"What crazy union?" Beast Boy asked.

"The Brotherhood of Evil, Garfield." A stern voice spoke, and the Titans all turned around. A man was walking towards them, an odd man with an odd helmet. Beast Boy made a squeaking sound and then began ranting.

"The Brotherhood? You have to be freaking kidding me! And what are you doing here anyway Mento?" Beast Boy asked.

The man -- Mento -- sighed and it was then that Beast Boy noticed the dark stain on his sleeve. Blood.

"Are you all right?" Beast Boy asked, approaching Mento, but he shook his head.

"None of us are 'all right' anymore." Mento informed the Titans. "The Brain has a new colleague, and a new machine. Somehow it's controlling the minds of nearly everyone on the planet. Only a select few have been immune to the broadcast of the Brain's mind-control machine."

"I was talking about the blood stains." Beast Boy said, ignoring everything he had just said about the Brain and mind control.

"I'll heal him." Raven decided, but as she approached Mento he shook his head.

"No. Save your strength, you Titans will need full power. Our enemies are numerous. Every hero and villain on the planet is now bent to the will of the Brotherhood of Evil. The entire Justice League has become his servants; as have the other members of the Doom Patrol." Mento sighed.

"Where is the Brain? We'll beat him." Robin said, confident as always.

"Not that easy." Mento said. "He's rounded up all the heroes who have been immune to the mind-control, all but me and a few others. He's having them all executed tonight, you have to save them first."

"All right, so where are they?" Terra asked.

"In a prison in Metropolis. You'll have to hurry, and you'll have to be careful." Mento told them.

"Oh, don't worry Titans." A harsh, cold voice announced. "Dead men don't have to worry about such trivial things, and that's what you are."

The Titans all turned up to look, on a hill overlooking the shoreline where they stood, an old man was waiting.

"General Immortus!" Mento shouted, recognized the oldest member of the Brotherhood of Evil. "Damn, he followed me."

"The Teen Titans . . . the last group of heroes on the planet. Too bad you missed the broadcast of the mind-control, and can't join my army . . . but at least I'll get to destroy you." General Immortus grinned, showing his aged, gnarled teeth.

"You know, I vote we skip the witty banter exchange and go straight to the part where we kick his ass." Cyborg said with a grin, as he charged the arm cannon. General Immortus' aged, demonic smile did not fade.

"Excellent! Attack, Legion #1.2.4.6!" He screamed, and then three familiar figures appeared right behind the General. The Titans gasped as they saw who he was using for henchmen.

Robotman of the Doom Patrol, The Flash and The Green Lantern of the Justice League as well. All of them were standing, their eyes completely white and blank, just as Superman's had been in space, though they never noticed that. General Immortus's evil grin widened even bigger with his sadistic happiness.

"Attack, my Legionnaire's!" General Immortus laughed, and the three heroes leapt down to attack.

"Titans, Go!"

Robotman charged forward, and so did Cyborg. Cyborg's fist caught Robotman's, but Cyborg's hand transformed into it's sonic cannon form and he blasted the other android's arm, sending metal flying off of his copper-colored body. Robotman smashed Cyborg in the face, knocking him to the ground -- but Beast Boy turned into a squid and grabbed Robotman, holding him in the air.

If Beast Boy could speak as a squid, he would have begged Robotman to stop; though he knew it was impossible. Suddenly Beast Boy was lifted into the air -- Green Lantern had used his power ring with control of all things green on Beast Boy.

A split second later, Robin kneed Green Lantern in the face, knocking him back and knocking him out. Beast Boy fell back onto the shore, still holding Robotman -- but Robotman broke free, punched Beast Boy into the bay, and then went running right at Jinx. Jinx waved her arm, the ground crumbled, and Robotman fell into a newly formed pothole.

A moment later, the Flash had kicked Terra in the small of her back, and then he zipped by to punch Bumbleebee and pushed Cyborg down. However, as he zoomed by Starfire flew right into his path and knocked him out with a single kick.

General Immortus suddenly was a lot less happy about everything. His face fell, and he suddenly was a lot less happy. He turned to flee, but Raven was behind him. With a single blast of black energy, he went falling down the hill, passed out, and he was defeated. Mento was impressed.

"You did good." He announced to the heroes. "But the real battle has only just begun."

Just then, there was a blast of light and Mento hit the ground with a cry, the Titans spun to find an army of robotic warriors. Unfortunately it seemed that Immortus had his entire army in Jump City, and once he went down they attacked automatically. Cyborg grabbed the unconscious hero and hoisted him onto his shoulders, then the entire group backed up towards the shoreline.

"Anyone have any ideas?" Raven asked.

"Not a one." Aqualad replied.

"She was talkin' to you!" Bumblebee snapped. "Don't you have the whole seas under your control?"

"I can escape through the seas, but I can't get the rest of you out." He retorted.

The robots fired their lasers, but Terra made a wall of rock from the ground to block them; a wall that was quickly being destroyed.

"Someone think of something!" She shouted, as her hands began glowing yellow and her arms shook. "I can't hold them long at all!"

"This way!" A voice yelled; it was Kid Flash, who had just sailed up to the shoreline on a small ship. Also on the ship was Tim Drake, the second Robin from Gotham.

The Titans hurried to board the ship, which while small, was incredibly fast and allowed them to escape. Though as Robin stood watching the shoreline and the robots shrink from view, he was not happy. Running away did not suit the boy wonder at all. He did not want to run, he wanted to fight and to win; but he had no chance to win this one.

"Nice to see you guys back." Kid Flash said to the group with a sigh. "But I'm afraid we may be too little, too late." He sighed once more and looked at the shore.

"Is there anywhere we can go to regroup?" Robin asked.

"No. The Brotherhood's already destroyed most of the places we held up, and everyone who isn't under control, but was captured, is scheduled to die at midnight in Metropolis." Kid Flash told them sadly.

"We have to do something." Beast Boy moaned.

"Yeah, but . . . what?" Cyborg asked.

"Good question." Robin was grim.

**----**

As the Titans dealt with the horrors in Jump City, and the Brotherhood of Evil's conquest of the world, another figure was in Paris, France at the National Museum.

Slade Wilson walked the halls, past the dinosaur bones and away from the ancient Egyptian artifacts. He was only interested in one thing, and as he walked, he looked for it with glee. When his eye fell on the prize he had looked for, he was suddenly very happy.

It was here, just as he had thought.

Slade shattered the glass with his fist and picked it up. Once he saw the artifact he grinned beneath his mask with glee. He grabbed his mask and threw it off onto the ground. Then he held up the amulet and looked at it with pure lust and joy.

"Yes, . . . oh yes, I've found it." Slade was glowing with happiness as he looked at the amulet. "Now that I have it, ultimate power will be under my control." Slade said loudly with a happy tone in his voice.

Slade responded in an odd way. He lifted the amulet and smashed it down on the ground, breaking it open and a swirl of white clouds and black lightning came shooting out and it struck Slade in the chest. Slade's entire body became enveloped in white fire with black thunderbolts zooming around his body. Slade let out an earsplitting scream and fell to his knees; his body seemed to distort and his scream became so loud glass cases all around him exploded -- despite the fact they were bulletproof glass.

Then, all at once, it was over. Slade's body lay calm, all fire and lightning gone, and when he stood up his face was radiant. A power seemed to come off of him, and he gave an air of a master. He felt stronger than he had ever felt before. He flexed his fingers, and then punched the pedestal the amulet had been on and shattered it like glass -- though it was made of solid steel.

"Yes. Yes, this power is exactly as I hoped it would be." Slade spoke to himself. "Ever since that demon Trigon was inside my body, I've known of the Amulet and it's power, but never before have I imagined how great it would be. I feel . . . invincible."

Slade turned and looked out the window, at the city of Paris, which was filled with Brotherhood robots. The Brotherhood had no clue of what they had unleashed by agreeing to Slade's deal. Slade laughed loudly and obnoxiously, and then he walked down the steps and disappeared into the streets, maskless and powerful, just waiting for the final piece of the puzzle to fall into place before making his strike.

**----**

Beast Boy sighed. He did not like how this plan was going, not at all. Beast Boy was sitting next to Raven, they were in the back of a small plane that was on the way towards Metropolis. In less than an hour they would be attacking the encampment where the remaining sane heroes were housed, schedualed to be killed in a few hours.

"So why are you so distant?" Raven asked.

"Mento." Beast Boy grumbled.

"Old friend?"

"I used to be on the Doom Patrol. A long time ago." Beast Boy sighed.

"I guessed that when he called you 'Garfield', which, by the way, don't think I'll forget." Raven grinned slyly, knowing she could use his name against him in so many ways it was hardly funny.

"I just have a bad feeling Rae." He sighed.

"Well almost every hero on the planet is evil, the Brotherhood of Evil has a serious edge, and if we fail tonight the only allies we have left will be dead. I can see why you'd be feeling bad." Raven put an arm around him and sighed. She wasn't good at the comforting friend thing, but she'd have to try for him.

"We've been through worse." She told him.

"Have we?"

". . . okay, how about this? If you stop pouting and we wind up saving the world, we'll go somewhere alone, okay?" Raven said softly.

"Sounds fun Rae, but what if we don't save the world?" He asked.

"When have we ever not saved the world?" She replied. "Now hush, or my suggestion of a romantic getaway will go away."

"Okay but can I just say one more thing?" He asked.

"What?"

"If you kiss me, I'll hush for the rest of the adventure."

Raven rolled her eyes; but she honored his request with a small kiss on the check. Whereas he was annoyed that was it, Beast Boy hushed, not wanting to jepordize his chances for when things were said and done; however, as they sped towards Metropolis, they both knew this would be the biggest fight of their lives.

**---- ---- ---- ---- ----**

I'm sorry to say it was short again, but there's a reason for that. I couldn't add anymore to this chapter without taking away from the next few chapters, but don't worry, I'll have 47 done soon. :3


	47. Metropolis, Mallah and Mayhem

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Forty-Seven**

"Metropolis, Mallah and Mayhem"

**A/N:** Dedicated to **GoldenBlade416**. Also, I apologize to **ShiningAsta13** for misspelling his name in 45's dedication.

We're coming down to the wire; the story is almost over. I'm still not sure if it'll end the very same day it began (the 14th) but I'm going to try. Anyway, I'll stop doing the notes now and return you to the struggle of the Titans, already in progress.

**---- ---- ---- ---- ----**

**Metropolis.**

The biggest, busiest city in the world. The love child-city of New York and Chicago. When The Brotherhood of Evil took over the world, Metropolis became a gigantic prison. In the middle of the city, at a large prison facility, the only heroes who managed to escape the mind control are being housed -- set to die at midnight.

Outside of that building on all sides are the Brain's robotic warriors. Anything that approaches that isn't supposed to be there is assaulted with hundreds of blasts from hundreds of laser guns. The Titans knew it would not be a simple matter.

Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven, Cyborg, Terra, Jinx, Bumblebee, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Tim Drake (the second Robin), and Mento were all that remained of the heroes. They were on an airplane, flying low towards Metropolis. As they approached, everyone knew this could be their final mission.

"Robin?"

Robin was standing in the cargo hold of the plane, looking out the window at the country below them. They were almost to Metropolis, though for now they were just flying over Smallville County. Robin turned to see Starfire standing at the doorway, and he smiled, though it was only a half-grin.

"What is it Star?" He asked as she walked over to him and stood beside him.

"I was merely looking for you." Starfire said, placing a hand on his shoulder. She looked out the window as well, and then she sighed.

"What's wrong?" Robin asked.

"I had hoped this was over." Starfire sighed.

"Yeah, I had too. But it will be over soon. I promise." Robin told her.

"I hope so." She replied, and she bit her lip. She was about to say something, but then she stopped and decided that it would be better to wait for that subject until later.

Whereas the two of them were happy, Cyborg was not as happy. He was flying the plane, but Bumblebee and Jinx were both standing behind him. He knew they were there, but he did not want to acknowledge either of them.

"You just going to ignore us?" Jinx asked with a growl.

"Uhh. . . listen, ladies . . . umm . . . okay, I've been thinking about this." Cyborg said. Bumblebee looked at him from the left, Jinx from the right, and both were in his face.

"You were, eh?" Jinx asked.

"And you've decided...?" Bumblebee raised an eyebrow.

"Decided? No, I haven't decided, I just done a lot of thinking." Cyborg grinned, and they both hit him in the back of his metal head. Cyborg growled and then he sighed, and looked down at his lap.

"Look . . . I, I don't know if I can pick between you two." He admitted.

"Well, you better pick Sparky!" Bumblebee shouted. "Because I'm getting pretty sick of this! You got till the end of the day to choose me, or you can lose me."

Cyborg sighed and let his head fall forward.

Jinx slipped out of the room with a distraught look on her face. She walked away, and Bumblebee was left alone to yell at Cyborg, while he sighed the day away.

Jinx walked down the hall and slumped against the wall. She was tired of all of this, and sick of the love triangle that had sprung up. Cyborg wasn't worth all of this. Though she really did not like losing to Bumblebee, not at all. Jinx sighed and leaned against one of the walls of the plane. Was this is? Was this why she had betrayed Gizmo, Mammoth and the others? This sure as hell wasn't worth it. She lost the guy, and she couldn't go back -- now what was she supposed to do?

Jinx looked out one of the windows of the plane, and below her she saw Metropolis. She also saw the prison where the heroes were being housed. Looks like they were almost there.

"Incoming!" Tim Drake, the younger Robin, shouted to the older one. A laser struck the plane and punched out a large hole several centimeters in diameter. The plane jerked, and began to lose altitude.

"Didn't we JUST get in a plane crash?" Beast Boy complained.

"Bad guys lost originality a long time ago." Raven remarked. The plane's wings hit the sides of the buildings on street, breaking them off, causing a massive scream from the occupants. The end of the plane crashed into the street and skin along, the landing gear wasn't down so it scrapped on its belly until it finally came to a rest right outside the prison.

Several robots began advancing on the plane; guns ready.

However, as the got near, the ground beneath them shook and opened up, dropping several of them inside; and then it smashed back shut destroying them. Terra, though lying on her stomach and bleeding from beneath her hairline, was using her powers to try to stop the advancement of robots.

Starfire leaned down to help Robin, who was on the floor, but he quickly told her to fight the robots and to try to get into the building. Starfire nodded and kicked the door off the side of the plane, flying out and up into the sky. She gave a yell and flew, throwing starbolts at the robots, blowing up several of them.

"Robin, something's wrong." Aqualad yelled to the Titan's leader. "If this is the big prison where all the good heroes are, why isn't it better guarded?"

"I was thinking the same." Robin replied as he helped to move a chair that had broken off and trapped Raven beneath it. Jinx growled and reluctantly helped Bumblebee up, and Bee was surprised by it; though neither of them had time to say anything to one another -- a moment later Starfire crashed into the plane and went straight through. Robin screamed and tried to reach her but he could not.

In the air outside was the man who had punched Starfire down.

Superman.

"Aww, man, not this guy again." Beast Boy complained; and a moment later he had to transform into a gecko to escape from the laser beam eyes coming from Superman.

"Titans, Go!" Robin yelled, and he jumped out of the broken side of the plane and hurled a freezing disc at some of the remaining robots, freezing them solid and when they fell over they shattered. However, Superman came flying faster than a speeding bullet towards Robin; and Robin had no time to avoid his punch. The boy wonder went flying off the side of the plane and hit the pavement, bleeding and bruised. Superman landed on top of the ship and turned; he spotted Jinx, who was still on her back, and he fired his laser beam eyes.

Luckily Kid Flash moved faster than even Superman, and managed to scoop her up in his arms and get her out of the way.

"You all right?" He asked.

"Peachy." She complained, sarcastically.

Superman let them go and turned on the others in the plane; Cyborg blaster him with his sonic cannon, knocking him back but not wounding him at all.

"Guys, we have a little problem here." Cyborg said; and in a flash Superman was back up, and he kicked him in his chest, knocking him off the plane and into the ground. Cyborg grunted and tried to get up, but Superman landed and picked him up. Then he threw him at some power lines; but a gigantic green pterodactyl grabbed him by the shoulders and flew him to safety.

"Thanks BB! But we gotta find a way to beat him!" Cyborg shouted to his friend.

And then; a voice spoke throughout Metropolis. The voice of The Brain.

"Attention. Teen. Titans. Do. You. Really. Believe. You. Can. Defeat. The. Brotherhood. Of. Evil?" The Brain was speaking to them all using his telepathy. In reality it was just a distraction to make them more vulnerable targets for the now-evil Superman.

"This. World. Now. Belongs. To. Me. Do. You. Not. Understand. That?" The Brain asked again. However, his distraction was not working. Mento finally emerged from the wreckage of the plane, and as Superman flew towards him to take him out; Mento used his mental powers and stopped him.

He shouted loudly, but used his powers to magnify the shout inside Superman's brain, causing him to close his eyes and cover his ears; he wound up crashing into the plane instead of punching Mento.

"Hurry Titans; go save the others!" Mento yelled to them, still magnifying his voice inside the head of Superman. However, Superman would not stay down because of this for very long. He fired his laser beam eyes and hit Mento's helmet; destroying part of it.

The Titans had already ran towards the prison, though. Raven used her powers to lift several of the destroyed robots and a few live ones and throw them all on top of Superman; but he punched his way out with easy and came flying at the Titans from behind.

"Kid Flash, you're the fastest of us, you go save the other heroes; everyone else, Stop Superman!" Robin yelled. Kid Flash obeyed and ran towards the prison, Jinx still in his arms.

The rest of the Titans stared down Superman. Both the Titan's Robin and the Robin from Gotham yelled and ran forward, Robin tossed an ice bomb, while Tim tossed a flashbang. The flashbang went off, creating a distorting flash of light; and the ice bomb froze Superman's feet to the ground.

However, Superman blasted the ice on his feet with his eyes and was free. A second later he had knocked both Robins on the ground, and then he flew forward; until Raven's powers grabbed him and threw him against the ground. Terra used her power to make sides of rock lift up and grab him, holding him firmly against the ground -- but to no avail. He broke free easily and continued to race after Kid Flash and Jinx.

Cyborg, Beast Boy and Bumblebee were all that remained in his way. Cyborg shot him in the head; Bumblebee blasted his chest with both her B's, and Beast Boy jumped on his back and turned into a blue whale; crushing him flat. Only for a moment though, because he picked up Beast Boy and tossed him so high into the air that Beast Boy had to transform into a bird. Superman picked up Cyborg and threw him at Bumblebee, pinning her beneath him.

"Hey Bee, if we survive this, I want to talk to you, okay?" Cyborg asked.

"Later Sparky." She flew out from beneath him and went chasing Superman.

However, Superman had a bigger problem. Right in front of him was Starfire; who had gotten back up and flown right in front of the prison. She refused to move, and she flew to met him in midair. He threw a punch; but she blasted him with her laser beam eyes, knocking him back. He fired his own red lasers; and she met them with her green; resulting in a large explosion which knocked them both back. Starfire was quicker getting up and she punched Superman once in the head. Her Tamaranian strength was enough to harm the Krytonian man, and knocked Superman onto the ground.

But Superman was back up in a second, kicking her in the face. The fight looked brutal, and it would not last long.

**----**

Inside, Kid Flash and Jinx had a much easier time. As Kid Flash ran, Jinx used her bad luck powers on any robots in their way, and she also used them on the walls, breaking some of them open.

However; every room was empty.

"I don't get it, where is everyone?" Kid Flash asked as he stopped at the corner of a hallway.

"Good question." Jinx hopped down out of his arms and looked around the corner, but she found nothing in the hallway; just empty rooms.

"They said the heroes who were sane were here, didn't they?" Kid Flash asked.

"That they did; but maybe the info was bad." Jinx replied, looking around the empty prison. Not even the robots were coming anymore, which seemed odd, because if this was the Brain's prison, there should be guards.

"Is it possible they moved them when they saw us coming?" Kid Flash asked.

"No, I was looking out the window before the crash." Jinx told him. "There was no one coming out of this building but robots."

"So then . . . where could they be?" Kid Flash asked, scratching the back of his head.

"Shush." Jinx told him not to speak, and she bent down low, putting her ear to the floor. There was a sound coming from beneath them, a sound like someone walking around. It was hard to hear from the loud crashes and bangs coming from outside -- the Titans versus Superman and a robot army.

Jinx pressed her hands on the floor, energy waves swam across it, and the floor crumbled and then both fell through and landed on the lower level; and there they were, the heroes who had been captured.

Kid Flash gasped.

"What the hell . . ."

There were no heroes; it was only Monsieur Mallah, the giant gorilla who worked for the Brain. He sat in a large steel chair with a devious smirk on his face and evil in his eyes.

"Yes. That is correct; there are no heroes, there never were." Mallah grinned darkly. "It was all a trap to lure you all here; and it worked beautifully."

"Why? Why go to all that trouble to lure us here?" Jinx asked, crossing her arms.

"To kill you, of course." Mallah grinned; and then he grabbed a cannon of his back and blasted a laser at the pair. Kid Flash was fast enough to escape; but Jinx only barely missed it, and part of the blast scorched the back of her legs and knocked her to the ground, crying out in pain. Kid Flash zipped behind Mallah and tried to jump on him -- but Mallah punched him with his foot, balling his foot into a fist, and knocked him on his ass.

Then Mallah turned around and aimed the bazooka on his shoulder.

"It is time to die, small one." Mallah grinned; but the second he squeezed the trigger, his gun exploded, lighting his hair on fire and causing him to scream and run around like a monkey. Jinx had fired a bad luck charm on the cannon, causing it to backfire. Kid Flash smiled at her.

"Thanks."

Jinx felt herself blush, and suddenly felt a lot better about the whole Cyborg situation.

Kid Flash ran over to her side. "We should go."

"Easier said than done." She said, pointing at her bleeding legs.

Kid Flash grinned. "I'll carry you again."

"Oh great." She said in sarcasm to match Raven's. "And I'm sure you plan to have your hand right on my butt again."

Kid Flash decided not to reply, making the excuse that Mallah could recover and they'd be in danger. However, just as he picked her up, she noticed something in the corner of the room.

"Stop! We take that with us!" She said. Kid Flash recognized it, and looked at her like she was nuts.

"Lady, you're cute, but you're crazy." Kid Flash told her. "That's ..."

"I know what it is, they taught us about it in HIVE." She told him, and ignored the shocked look on his face -- apparently he hadn't know she was a former villain. "And with what's going on outside, that could be really useful."

**----**

Outside, things had gotten worse. The Titans had defeated every last one of the robot warriors, but Superman was beating them back. Terra tried to hold him by pinning him in a fissure in the ground, but he broke free and threw a piece of street at her. Luckily Terra caught it and stopped it from destroying her, and then she smacked him with it again; but he broke it into pieces.

He kicked Robin in the face, threw Aqualad into a building, and crushed Cyborg with a parked car. The Titans were in serious trouble, and things were getting worse.

Beast Boy was on the ground, with Superman approaching him ready to deliver a fatal blow to the boy, when suddenly he screamed and fell on the ground. Superman gritted his teeth and couldn't move.

Kid Flash was standing behind him, holding Jinx in his arms who was holding a large green stone in her hand. Kryptonite. Apparently Mallah had it in case Superman regained his mind, so the trap wouldn't be a total waste.

With Superman down, the robots destroyed, and Mallah defeated, it was a victory for the Titans

Kid Flash was grinning. They had won, but Robin's next words quickly drown any happiness in his face.

"If this was a trap, it means this whole thing was a trap." Robin said as he clutched his bleeding shoulder. "We have to end this fast, before The Brain makes more good people go bad. We're going after the Brain."

**---- ---- ---- ---- ----**

I realize it's shorter than normally, but I have the last few chapters all planned out, and this is where I have to end this one. :D I hope you enjoyed it, I'll have new chapters up every day until Valentine's Day, when the story will come to the big finale. And believe me, you'll never imagine what I have planned for the ending. :3

Love ya, please review. :D


	48. Batman Versus Robin

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You**

**Chapter Forty-Eight**

"Batman Versus Robin"

**A/N:** Almost done. :o Ain't it amazing? Well, for Chapter Forty Eight, to **Lauren** I shall dedicate:D

But my beloved readers, I am sad. For this is almost the end. . Well, at any rate, when this is done, I have two other Titans Stories I plan to finish (yes, I will finish those after this. :p) Plus I have another Titans story I may start later, also a Sonic story, and a Fullmetal Alchemist Trilogy. More info on those fics, later. :D

**---- ---- ---- ---- ----**

"It was all a trap."

Seven hours ago, the Teen Titans had broken into a prison in Metropolis to save the remainder of the heroes with their sanity. However, once they had got inside all they found was Monsieur Mallah; no heroes. While they had defeated a robot army and mind-controlled Superman, the team now realized they, and they alone, had escaped with their sanity.

Robin, Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Bumblebee, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Jinx, Terra, Robin II and Mento were sane; everyone else on the planet had become a mindless servant of the Brain and the Brotherhood of Evil.

Now the Titans were in a van, driving towards Jump City. The van was not a superhero car; it had no adjustments, no weapons and no turbo boosters. Cyborg was driving. In the back of the van, all the heroes spoke. Robin and Starfire sat next to each other; Raven was next to Starfire, with Beast Boy on her shoulder. Because of the limited space, Beast Boy was a small green bird. Kid Flash was next to Raven, with Jinx next to him in the circle, then Terra, Robin II, Bumblebee and finally Aqualad. Mento was in the passenger seat next to Cyborg.

"Okay, this is bad, but it's not the end of the world." Robin informed everyone.

"Yeah . . . you sure?" Cyborg asked.

"We can reverse everything if we destroy the machine." Mento informed the teens.

"First we have to find the machine, which is easier said than done." Aqualad informed the group.

"Hard, but not impossible." Robin replied. "Where is the Brain's hideout?"

"Not far from Metropolis." Kid Flash told them. "It's real close to where we are now, we just take Highway 47."

"Alright. Then we go there, and we stop the Brain. Then maybe this'll all be over at last." Robin II said optimistically.

"I hope so, but let's not forget what Rose said on Tamaran." Robin said to everyone.

"Who's Rose, what's Tamaran, and what did she say?" Kid Flash asked.

"Rose is a villain, Tamaran is my home planet, and she informed us that Slade is still alive." Starfire relayed to the group.

"Slade? Isn't he your arch foe Sparky?" Bumblebee asked.

"Yeah, that's Slade. But maybe we'll luck out and The Brain will have him under mind control too." Cyborg said hopefully.

"Is Slade the one with the double-colored mask?" Mento asked.

"That's him." Raven replied.

"Then he is the one who supplied The Brain with the mind-control device." Mento sighed.

"Great." Jinx's sarcasm was quicker than Raven's.

"It doesn't matter team. We'll stop him too, in time." Robin said in his leader voice.

A second later, Cyborg let his eyes move to the side mirror, and what he saw made him gasp, and then gulp. The coolest car he'd ever seen was right behind them, but Cyborg had a bad feeling about it.

"Yo guys, are we sure every other hero besides us is evil?" Cyborg asked.

"Yes, why?" Robin replied.

"Cause the Batmobile is comin' up fast from our rear, and in this piece of crap van, we may as well paint a bull's-eye on the side." Cyborg replied. In a flash, both Robin and Robin II ran to the back of the van and looked out the windows; indeed, the Batmobile was racing to catch up with them, which it would do in seconds.

"Great." Robin sighed. "Cyborg, drive as fast as you can!"

"Uh, Rob, I am." Cyborg replied.

"What? This is the fastest we can go?" Robin sweatdropped. "That's . . . not good."

Suddenly there was a loud popping noise, and the van's tired exploded, which caused Cyborg to lose control. The Batmobile had launched tiny spikes out of it's front with covered the road ahead of it; popping the Van's tires. Since the Batmobile's tires were coated in metal, they were safe.

The van's tires peeled off and flew off, and Cyborg was riding on just the metal. Sparks flew, and the van slowed down. They'd soon be stopped, as soon as the engine overheated.

"What do we do?" Cyborg asked.

"**We** do nothing. **I** stop him." Robin announced. He stood up and approached the back doors of the van; but Starfire grabbed him by the cape.

"Robin do not do this alone!" She asked him.

"Sorry Star, but you'll all need each other to beat the Brain. I can handle this. Trust me."

Robin kicked open the back door, grabbed a freezing disc and his bo-staff, and jumped out of the van. He landed on the hood of the Batmobile and instantly tiny guns came out of the hood and aimed at him; but he broke them both with his bo-staff, and then jumped on the roof of the car and three the freezing disc into the right rear wheel. It froze instantly and the Batmobile swerved out of control and crashed into a ditch; Robin jumped off right before the crash.

Robin looked at the car; and in a flash the door opened and Batman stepped out. Robin held the bo-staff ready; this was going to be the fight of his life.

Robin remembered long ago, when Shady had shown up, when he and Batman had done battle.

_A man had entered the room, and Robin became tense. His back arched, his eyes narrowed and his hands gave the slightest lean towards his utility belt. That caused all of the other Titans to take notice of the man, and to tense up themselves, trying to prepare a defense or offense if needed. The man himself however was perfectly relaxed, except for his eyes which were focused squarely on Robin's masked ones._

"_En garde!" The man shouted and things moved quicker than anyone would have liked. Robin shot out of his chair, flipped over the back of it and landed on his feet with his bo staff drawn; at the exact same time the man had made his way from the doorway to the seat and had smashed the exact spot that had occupied the boy-wonder only seconds before with his own bo staff._

_Robin had recovered and a swipe of his staff knocked the chair aside; that was instantly followed by a sharp swiping kick from his right – which his former mentor blocked with an expert left hand. They broke apart but no one noticed because just as quickly Robin was using his right foot to knock his enemy's bo staff off it's newly set course and that was followed by Robin narrowly jumping over a sweeping roundhouse kick._

_By now the other Teen Titans and Shady (who'd finally stopped talking and taken notice) had realized that even if they wanted to get involved in this fight, they couldn't. The pace was so fast that the only comparison they could draw was between some of the fights Robin had made with Slade – and this one could put most of them to shame._

_The blows continued to be traded and blocked and knocked away. No one had a clear upper hand, and the combat quickly became so confusing that it was a wonder the combatants could stand up; much less keep up._

_Slowly, but surely breathing became heavy. Blows became sloppy. Robin squinted and drew in his oxygen much too quickly as he caught a painful kick to the stomach. He was back in the swing of things too fast to be stopped though. And his opponent was knocked hard in the ribs by Robin's bo staff, but it merely winded him for a few second before he recovered and blocked Robin's next blow with the flawless effort that was to be expected with a reputation like his._

_Still, nothing can last forever – especially when it's hardcore sparring._

_  
Robin saw his chance – there was only one – and he took it. As Wayne messed up with a sloppy swing to the boy wonder's head, Robin ducked and counted with a dead-on kick to his former mentor's stomach. Just as planned the older of the two was sent backwards onto the ground. Robin pounced, a final blow ready and on its way._

_But it never made it. Much to everyone's surprise the Dark Knight rolled to his side as the blast from the bo staff smashed the exact spot he'd been in less than a second before. Robin cursed in his mind, since he knew the fight had ended as it happened. He's seen the movement and been unable to stop it; and thus he'd failed. Bruce's rolled ended and he pushed up, angled the kick into Robin's ribs and sent the boy wonder sprawling to the ground. Of course a second kick, this one a painful drop kick from a strong right leg, followed and connected with Robin's chest._

_The boy wonder was beaten._

_Silence fell over the room, broken only by the heavy breathing of a crowd that had held its collective breathes, and the even deeper gasps of the two who'd done the actual work. Then, at length, Batman extended his bare hand down to his fallen heir._

"_It's been too long." He said much as a father would greet his son had they been normal; or anything close to it._

"_It sure had." Robin responded happily, though there was no mistaking his bitterness in losing._

Batman had not held back then, nor had he ever when training the boy. However, this time the object was not sparring, it was a true fight, and if Robin lost now, he would die. He would never see his friends, or his wife, again. It would all be over, and the Brain would have achieved at least one victory. There was no Kryptonite for Batman; no way to defeat him easily. Robin took a deep breath, and charged forward.

He yelled loudly and aimed a kick at Batman's head; but the Dark Knight avoided it, twisted around and landed a karate chop onto the back of Robin's neck. Robin hit the ground, turned over just as Batman stopped the place he had laid a moment ago, and hit Bruce with the bo-staff in his chest.

Batman stumbled backwards for a moment, then he arched a kicked and connected with Robin's wrist; the boy-wonder's bo-staff went flying into the grass and Robin had to duck to avoid the kick, which was gunning for his chin.

Robin backflipped and threw two razor-sharp bird-a-rangs; but Batman had done the same, only throwing bat-a-rangs. Instead of two bat-a-rangs, he had thrown three; two of them collided with Robin's bird-a-rangs, the third went for Robin's throat. Robin avoided it.

Robin had to think fast. He was at a disadvantage. Batman was a better fight, and he wanted Robin dead – Robin did not want to harm him, which gave the favor to Batman. Robin grabbed his bird-a-rangs, crashed two together, and formed the bird-a-rang sword he had used when fighting Melchior. Robin ran forward with the sword; but Batman was faster. He kicked Robin's hand, and then his chest.

Robin dropped the sword and hit the ground. Batman picked the sword up and came walking towards him – exactly as Robin had hoped. He pressed a button on his yellow utility belt and electricity passed through the sword and through Batman. The Dark Knight screamed and fell to his knees; the electrical shock was powerful.

And then Batman spoke.

"What happened?" He looked up and saw Robin. "Robin? What? Why are you here? Where are we?"

Robin blinked. Had the mind control been broken by the powerful electrical current? Robin walked over, but as he did Batman leapt up, tackled Robin, and got his hands around his throat.

"Ignorant boy, I speak in his voice for I control him." Batman said; but Robin knew the one talking was really The Brain.

"You won't get away with this." Robin grunted.

"If you refer to your friends, they are on their way into a trap! Soon they will die, but first, you shall!" The Brain hissed in Batman's voice.

Robin felt himself unable to breathe or speak, and he could feel his world going black. He had to do something, he had to find some way to break free and save his life. With his last bit of strength, he reached towards his belt and grabbed a small, cylinder-shaped contained with a tiny needle on the end and liquid in the middle.

He stabbed Batman in the stomach with it, and in a few seconds, Batman passed out. It was quick-working knock-out formula, and it would last several hours. Robin put Batman back in his car, closed the door, and then sighed.

He'd have to hurry to the Brain's base, to warn the others about the trap. So he ran off, on foot, towards the Brain's hideout.

**----**

As the van slowed to a stop outside of a gigantic building, the Titans were making their final preparations. The Brain was inside that building, and they had to stop him. It was not an option; they had to defeat him and destroy the mind control machine, or Earth was doomed.

As everyone was getting ready, Cyborg took Bumblebee aside.

"Hey? What is it you wanted to talk to me earlier about?" He asked, concern in his voice.

"Nothing Sparky."

"No, I'm serious Bee, tell me." He begged her, having one hand on each of her shoulders.

"Cy . . . if you must know, I . . ."

"Bee. I love you." Cyborg suddenly blurted out; and she stopped and blinked twice.

"Excuse me?" She was shocked.

"Bee, truth is I chose you a long time ago, I just couldn't say so because I was afraid if I did, Jinx would go bad and go help the Brain." Cyborg informed her, which shocked Bumblebee.

"For real, Sparks? Then why are you telling me now?" Bumblebee asked, skeptic.

"Cause it looks like Jinx and Kid Flash have something goin' on. So I don't have to worry about her goin' evil again, and now I'm free to be with you." Cyborg smiled.

"How do I know you're not just saying all this cause Jinx is with him now?" The still-skeptical Bumblebee asked him once more.

"You don't, but I'd hope you'd trust me." Cyborg replied.

". . . I guess, Sparky."

Just as the two were about to kiss, Aqualad's voice stopped them.

"Sorry, no time for that, we have to find a way to break into the Brain's base." He informed them both.

"Aww, no fair! Nobody ever stopped Robin and Starfire, or BB and Raven!"

"Well we don't do it right before big climatic fights." Raven said sarcastically. "Now let's take care of this."

The Titans looked up at the monolithic building and then approached the front door.

**----**

As Robin hurried towards his friends, he soon heard the sound of movement behind him. As he turned, he saw a car heading in his direction. Robin grabbed his bird-a-rang, just in case, and waited. The car pulled up and driving was a man with white hair and a matching beard and mustache. The man wore a white suit with an orange shirt beneath. He looked at Robin and spoke.

"Do you need a lift to wherever you are going?" He asked.

Robin could not place it, but he felt like he knew this man. Still, regardless of this feeling he did need a ride; although one thing bothered him.

"You're . . . not under the Brain's control? How is that possible?" Robin asked, suspicious.

"My mind is to advanced to control. Government modification. I used to be a special agent for the U.S. army, they improved my mind with their drugs; I'm too advanced for the Brain to control. You want a lift, or not?"

Robin decided he would accept the man's generosity. He needed to find Starfire and the others, so he opened the door of the back seat, since the driver's side was facing him, and he climbed in. The man sped off down the road, and continued to make talk with Robin.

"You're one of the Teen Titans." The man said.

"Yes." Robin didn't bother asking how he knew that, since he was on television quite a bit, as were all the Titans.

"Where are your friends?" The man asked.

"Up ahead, at the Brain's base." Robin said, and then he hesitated, and then said something else. "Listen, I appreciate the ride, but let the Titans handle the brain. Even if you were in the army, you'll be out of your league with super villains."

"Oh I doubt that very much, Robin." The man said. "Why don't you look in the compartment on the back of my seat?"

Robin was suspicious by this request, but he obeyed. He opened the compartment on the back of the driver's seat and reached his hand inside. He felt something hard and lifted it out; and then he gasped.

It was a mask, half black, half brown with only one hole for an eye.

The man's voice changed, it was now a voice Robin knew very well.

"You see, Robin, we're not going to save your friends. We're going to have a little chat." Slade Wilson, the driver, smirked. He reached up to one of his eyes and took it out – glass – and then he began to laugh. Robin started to react, but a fine mist sprayed out of the mask and into Robin's eyes, and then Robin passed out a second later.

"All too easy." Slade smirked. He continued driving, but turned away from the Brain's base. Instead he began driving towards Jump City, and towards Titan's Tower, where the final act in his plan would take place.

**---- ---- ---- ---- ----**

The final chapter will **NOT** be done on the 14th, as I originally planned. Chapters 1 – 49 **will be** online by Valentine's Day. However, chapter 50; the Grand Finale, I want to spend a long time working on so it's fantastic – so that won't be done for a while. But I promise it will be worth it. :D It'll be **the longest chapter EVER**.

**Next Update**: Valentine's Day


	49. The Clock Is Ticking

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere For You**

**Chapter Forty-Nine**

"The Clock Is Ticking"

**A/N:** One year ago I began this story.

One chapter left. Just one chapter left. Isn't it unbelievable? Well, for the second-to-last chapter, I'll dedicate it to **Waffler's English Teacher**, who should listen to Waffler and use this story as an example in English class. XD. Here goes 49.

The following chapter will be in imitation of my favorite live-action television show. Cookies, Brownies and Flan to the first person to review with a correct guess of what show that is.

**The Following Chapter Takes Place Between 11:00 PM and 12:00 AM.**

**---- ---- ---- ---- ----**

**11:00**

It was eleven pm exactly when the raid on The Brain's headquarters begun. The Titans could not wait for Robin to finish his fight, and they had no idea that he had already been captured by Slade. They charged forward; Cyborg blasted the doors open with his sonic cannon and they ran inside the lavish, gigantic building that had been an office before the Brain transformed it into his hideout.

As they ran inside, they found the lobby deserted. They also found a single elevator, and the Titans crammed into it. The elevator slowly moved up the side of the building, and as they did it was quiet.

Which was rarely a good sign.

**11:01**

The elevator ride to the top floor was quick, and cut even shorter. Halfway up the elevator gave a lunge, as if someone had jumped down the shaft and landed on the roof.

A moment later the top of the elevator melted open; it was Hot Spot, still under the Brain's control. He looked at all the Titans inside and revved up his flame hands; ready to melt the entire inside of the elevator and turn the steel transportation machine into a giant oven. However, as he shot his flames; Raven caught them with her powers and sent them right back at him. Hot Spot was knocked back, but still on the roof.

"This is bad." Beast Boy groaned. A moment later Hot Spot threw another fireball; Raven caught it and returned it, but as she did he threw a second, smaller fireball. The good news was that it missed all of the Titans; the bad news was that it hit the floor and the metal bottom began to melt up.

Cyborg blasted Hot Spot, sending him flying up the elevator shaft. The Titans had no choice but to get off on the floor they were on -- the bottom of the elevator was still melting away, and if they didn't get off they're all have their feet reduced to puddles, and then the rest of them would plummet down an elevator shaft to certain demise.

**11:03**

The Titans, as well as the single members of the Doom Patrol and HIVE were on the sixth floor. They had many more to climb, and they'd have to take the stairs now. Carefully they ran through the office building's sixth floor, looking for any way to advance. Instead of finding another elevator or stairs of some kind, they found Mas Y Menos and Speedy, Bumblebee and Aqualad's mind-controlled team mates.

Speedy fired arrows at them at once; but Bumblebee and Cyborg worked together to blast them before they reached the group. Mas Y Menos advanced at the group, holding hands and going insanely fast; until Raven grabbed Menos with her powers, hurled him into a janitor's closet and locked him in, and separate Mas from his brother. Without their speed, Terra kicked Mas and he went down, unconscious.

Speedy was proving to be more difficult. He fired his arrows so fast it was amazing; finally Aqualad decided he would have to stop his friend.

"Go on!" He called to the others; and with the fate of the world at hand, they had to hurry. Aqualad used his power over water to destroy a water fountain on the wall and spray a concentrated stream of water at Speedy. Speedy was holding one of his prized electric arrows at the time; and Speedy would up shocked and unconscious.

Aqualad started towards the stairs so he could follow the other Titans, but as he went someone grabbed him by the throat from behind, knocked him in the head, and sent him to the same realm of unconsciousness as he has sent Speedy.

**----**

**11:09**

The Titans were able to take the stairs all the way to the thirteenth floor before they ran into anymore problems. On this floor, the stairs ended, and the door to get into the next set of offices was locked.

They could easily break it down, but that could alert whoever was on the other side. Raven or Jinx could use their powers to unlock it, but Mento observed that the lock was electronic, and therefore unlocking it with magic would probably cause the alarm to go off. Their biggest advantage was the element of surprise, so they couldn't waste it.

So in the end, Raven agreed to phase through the wall and unlock it from the other side. However, no sooner had she reached the other side, than had a fist grabbed her head. The fist was so large he entire head fit inside it, and the owner swung her into a file cabinet.

As soon as Beast Boy heard the sounds, he yelled the words "Screw the alarm!" loudly, transformed into a bear, and ripped the door off it's hinges. Instantly a shrill alarm began to scream, and on the other side the Titans found five more foes; Mammoth, Gizmo, See-More, Billy Numerous and Kid Wicked.

"Oh great." Jinx muttered, not at all happy to see them.

"Well, look what the snot dragged in!" Gizmo beamed. Mammoth had been the one to throw Raven, and she was still not recovered.

"Wait, you guys aren't under mind control?" Jinx asked her previous crew.

"Hey, some of us like being evil." Mammoth said, but what he implied was even worse.

"You guys go on, I'll deal with the cast of 'dumb and dumber'." Jinx said to the Titans, but Beast Boy wasn't having any of that. Mammoth had thrown Raven into a filing cabinet. So, still as a green grizzly, he ran across the room and tackled Mammoth, knocking him to the ground. Jinx sweatdropped.

"Okay, **we'll** deal with the cast of 'dumb and dumber', you guys go save the world."

The other Titans obeyed, and hurried to the next set of stairs; however before Jinx could even speak to her former crew, Kid Flash zipped back from the stairs and to her side.

"Now you be careful, I plan on askin' you out when all the fighting is over." Without another word he was gone as quick as he came, and Jinx found herself smiling. Maybe this hero thing was good for something.

"Death to the traitor and her snotty friends!" Gizmo cried, and then he pressed a button and his backpack morphed into a gigantic fighting suit. Jinx knew every trick her old team had, but she did realize it had been a while since he betrayal, and they may have learned some new ones.

While Mammoth wrestled with an angry Beast Boy, Jinx jumped to avoid Gizmo's death laser, then she leapt on top of him and did a single swipe of her dark energy waves; the arms and legs of his battle suit came unscrewed and fell apart.

"Crud, crud, CRUD! GET HER!" Gizmo shouted loudly. Kid Wicked charged at Jinx, but as he did, a large glob of red goo struck him in the face. The goo was in the shape of an X.

"What? You think I'd miss the big climatic fight for the whole world? What kind of guy do you take me for?" Red X seemed to be talking to himself from where he sat on the window ciel. X Jumped down and landed behind Jinx and the two stood back to back as ten Billy Numerouses surrounded them and charged at one.

Red X grabbed Jinx around the waist and jumped high; she used her powers on the floor and Billy, all of him, fell through to the floor below, cursing as they went. Red X let go of Jinx and tossed a freezing disc much like Robin's at Gizmo, freezing his entire body except for his head and keeping him pinned to the wall.

"CRUD! You fricking snot-munching bit--"

Jinx kicked him dead-on in the face, and he was out colder than the ice around his body. She and Red X then turned around, where they found Beast Boy helping Raven up; Mammoth was lying on the ground unconscious. Apparently Beast Boy had cracked him over the head with a table, then a chair, and then his grizzly bear foot.

That only left See-More, he attempted to run at the group, but Jinx did a front-flip, landed right in front of him, and blasted him with her full-powered dark energy blast, sending him flying into a wall, through the wall, and out the other side into an empty office.

"That was for using that damn X-ray eye on me when you thought I wasn't looking, you pervert!" Jinx roared at him.

The Titans then hurried up the stairs to meet up with the others, and when they got there, they were shocked at what they found.

**11:24**

On the fourteenth, and final floor of the building, the Titans were all gathered around a machine; the Brain's "body" he was in all the time. When Raven, Jinx, Beast Boy and Red X arrived on the top floor, they saw the "body", but they did not see one important part.

"Dude, shouldn't the Brain be in there?" Beast Boy asked.

"Yes Garfield, he should be." Mento replied.

"Garfield? Well I guess you can become a cat, isn't that ironic?" Red X looked as if he was going to laugh, but Mento cut him off before he could.

"The Brain's Brain isn't here. This makes no sense."

"Oh, yes it does Mento."

Mento, and all the Titans turned around to find Madam Rouge leaning against a wall. She had a deliciously evil smile on her red lips, but there was something foreign in her eyes. Mento's jaw dropped, though the others did not know why.

"What did you do!" Mento asked, sickened.

"I merely preformed a neurological transplant; the first successful one in history." Madam Rouge said snappily. "Sadly Rouge did not survive the proceedure."

"Huh? I thought that was Madam Rouge." A confused Cyborg asked.

"No." Mento said, still sounding as if he was trying to hold back hurling. "That is the Brain."

The Titans naturally gasped, and Madam Rouge laughed.

"Indeed. I must admit Mento, I was hoping to have _your_ body, but this one will have to do for now. Though I kind of like being a woman." The Brain, in Madam Rouge's body, laughed hallowly.

"I'm going to miss your mechanical speech." Mento apparently had some sarcasm tucked away for a rainy day.

"And I shall miss fighting you; but now, alas, the time has come for YOUR DEMISE!" The Brain extended her arm forward, since she had Rouge's body and powers, and grabbed Mento by the throat. However, the arm didn't stop growing, and it went right out the window, breaking the glass with Mento's back.

"MENTO!" Beast Boy shouted, but he was too late.

The Brain was not content dropping Mento, apparently feeling that superheroes usually escaped from that sort of thing. Instead the Brain thrust his arm down, down, down deep and smashed Mento against the pavement with her own bare hand.

Beast Boy screamed, and so did Mento, though his was much quieter since his windpipe was being crushed. Only Mento's legs had shattered on the ground, he was still alive. Beast Boy, who had once had to bite off Slade's hand, realized he had to break his vegeterian oath once more. He transformed into a crocodile and bit right through Rouge's arm.

The Brain screamed, Mento however was safe. Yet she stumbled back, growling with frustration for a single moment; and then Robin leapt in through the shattered window and tossed a new kind of explosive disc at The Brain. The disc hit and The Brain's new body as well as his old mind were blown into millions of tiny bits, which showered the room and everyone in it.

**11:34**

"You know," Raven's tradition wisecrack came. "It gets expensive replacing my clothes all the time. Maybe from now on we can watch the bloodbaths?"

"Robin! You have returned!" Starfire was grinning, but it vanished. "And you are . . . violent."

"No time to explain Starfire, we have to destroy that mind-control machine!" Robin said to his wife, though something about him was off. The Titans all followed him into the next room, where a gigantic metal machine sat in the corner. A green light was shining from the middle of a circular part, and Robin nodded.

"That's the core; destroy that, and the world regains it's humanity."

"Easy done." Robin II grinned at the first Robin, and threw a bird-a-rang at the green light; however the bird-a-rang bounced off about three feet from the core.

"It's protected by a force-field." Robin said to the other Titans.

"Eh, I have an idea." Jinx waved her arm and the floor crumbled as it had when she fought Billy Numerous, and the machine fell through to the floor below and smashed into the ground -- though it did not break.

"I'll take it from here." Terra said, and a second later a large piece of parking lot became surrounded in a yellow glow, lifted up, flew through the broken window and then flew directly over the machine. Terra released it, and the parking lot chunk destroyed the machine.

"Nice work Titans." Robin said.

"I'm just glad this is finally over." Cyborg grinned. He looked at Bumblebee, remembering the kiss they never finished, and started to lean in. However, Beast Boy interrupted.

"It's not over! Mento's hurt dudes!" Beast Boy yelled to everyone.

"I can heal him, relax." Raven shook her boyfriend by the shoulder. "Let them have a moment, they earned one."

"Damn straight we did." Bumblebee grinned and went to kiss Cyborg, but this time Robin spoke up just before their lips touched.

**11:42**

"Oh no, you stupid idiots, it is not over by a long-shot. Not at all." Robin said, and every face in the room turned to him, flabberghasted.

"Robin? What is the matter?" Starfire asked.

"I'm sorry, Robin can't come to the phone right now. He's all tied up." Robin said, and then he grabbed a loose piece of skin by his ear and yanked his face off -- to reveal robotics and a television screen.

On that televison screen was the white-beared, white-haired, eyepatch wearing man who none of them recognized at first.

"Did I forget to mention this was one of my robots, and I only sent it to help you to get your attention?"

"... Dude, who's the pirate santa?" Beast Boy asked.

"You killed my son and my daughter is locked in prison on Tamaran. Both Robin and Terra betrayed me when I offered to take them on as an apprentice, and you even killed the future incarnation of me as well as my demonic side brought on my Trigon; I figured you deserved to see my face after all that." Slade hissed.

"Slade?" Raven blinked.

"Indeed little girl, though you may call me 'Master Slade' if you prefer. While you were having a fun wedding on another planet and that idiot Brotherhood was enslaving Earth, I had been going for a prize . . . the amulet of Tec'olt." Slade said.

Only Jinx, Raven and Red X gasped.

"You stole that from the french museum? Impressive." Red X muttered.

"The Amulet of Tec'olt? The ancient demonic pendant that is said to bestow invincible powers to whoever breathes in its essence?" Jinx was shocked.

"That would be the one dear. Trigon told me about it a while back, before his defeat, and I decided since you were all out of town and the world was in chaos already, I may as well go and become unstoppable. And as much as I've enjoyed these last few years, I believe it is time we settle this once and for all. So come to the Titan's Tower, where I will be waiting for the final showdown. Robin's with me, don't worry, he's safe. So long as you show up before midnight."

"Hey, it's **11:50** right now! How the hell do we get halfway across the country by midnight?" Kid Flash asked.

"Let me finish my sentence!" Slade snapped. "So long as you show up before midnight on Friday."

"Friday? It's Wedenseday. Why are you giving us forty-eight hours?" Raven asked, skeptical.

"My dear Raven, you know why. Because you're going to go looking for the Pendant of Schezkia, the only force that can rival the Amulet of Tec'olt. I'm not an idiot, I may as well let you go looking for the Pendant -- after all, it's in a place much worse than a french museum." Slade was grinning; and then the robot went offline and fell over.

Starfire looked ready to fly back to Jump City now, but instead she turned to Raven.

"What is this Pendant, and why does Slade say we will look for it?"

Raven sighed. She didn't have the heart to tell Starfire; but luckily Jinx did not have that problem.

"The Pendant of Scheizka and the Amulet of Tec'olt are incredibly powerful magical items. If we go against Slade without that Pendant, he'll kill us before we have a chance to attack." Jinx said grimly. "But the Pendant is impossible to get to."

"Why do you say that?" Kid Flash asked.

"Because Brother Blood hid it somewhere, and only he knows where -- and he's dead now." Jinx told them.

"So we have no way to stop Slade?" Cyborg asked.

"Fraid not Sparky. Brother Blood's dead and burried, we're not getting any infomation from him, that's for sure." Bumblebee sighed.

"Maybe we are . . ." Tim Drake rubbed his chin, and everyone looked at him. "Hey, I have an idea, but if it's going to work, we'll need Blood's body, and we'll need to get back to Batman."

**12:00**

**---- ---- ---- ---- ----**

Well, there you have it; the end of chapter forty-nine. My God, it's almost painful to think that there is only one chapter left. Yes, that is all -- just one. Soon however I shall begin new fics, and update old ones, and hopefully the love shall continue.

I don't know when Chapter Fifty will be online; as soon as I'm happy with the ending. Ta-Ta, my beloved readers.

WILL OUR HEROES FIND THE PENDANT OF SCHEZIKA?

WILL THEY FIND A WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE DEAD BROTHER BLOOD?

WILL ROBIN ESCAPE FROM SLADE?

WILL SLADE FINALLY BE DEFEATED?

WILL CYBORG AND BEE EVER KISS?

WILL I STOP ASKING QUESTIONS?

THE ANSWERS TO THESE AND MORE QUESTIONS IN THE EXCITING FINAL CHAPTER!

ANYTHING, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE, FOR YOU!

CHAPTER 50!  
COMING SOON!


	50. Anything, Anytime, Anywhere For You

**Anything, Anytime, Anywhere For You**

**by**

**Brandon Troy Rice (aka) Golden-Sama**

**Chapter Fifty**

"I'll Do Anything, Anytime, Anywhere For You"

**A/N**: I said I'd work on the final chapter for a month . . . it's been two . . . but . . . sniff ... sniff ... sniff ... sob

My friends, we have reached the end of the line. The grande finale. The last chapter. The big finish. It's taken **one year and two months exactly**, but now it's time to finish it. There will be more Titans Goodness coming from me in the future, but for now I'm going to focus on my **new Fullmetal Alchemist story**, **The Immortal Alchemist**, as well as a **EdxWinry** one-shot (that may become more if people review) which will be appearing on and very soon. :3 If you're an FMA fan, be it manga, anime or video games -- I would ask that you read it. You may like it. Also, **Sonic** and **24** fics coming soon. I'm also thinking of a comical **Naruto love triangle** involving love potions and much confusion. Also, if you want to chat with me on any given day, go to my profile and join the Sonic Rapid Board -- there's a link in my profile and I'm on _almost_ **every day**.

This, the finale, I dedicate to **gladdecease** who was the first person to guess 24. :D Twenty-Four... man I love that show. And it's been SO good this year. Anyway, please enjoy the super long, super dramatic grand finale. I love you all, each and everyone one of you.

**Paula and Caitilyn** -- I hope to keep in touch with you two even after the story is over. My email is -- and that goes for anyone who read this story too!

Sorry it took so long to write, but... it was hard to end it.

Well, can't put this off any longer.

The Finale Begins in 3...

2...

1...

**NOW**.

**

* * *

**

The Titans knew that Robin was a prisoner of their worst enemy ever, and they had to find him. Starfire was a wreck, but the other titans attempted to calm her down, with little success. It wasn't until they were on their way back to the ground floor that they realized something disturbing.

"Where's Aqualad?" Bumblebee asked. They had found Hot Spot downstairs, now free of the mind control but still very weak from when they beat the hell out of him. However, their aquatic friend was nowhere to be found.

"I'm sure he can handle himself." Cyborg tried to reassure her, but it didn't stick, especially when they reached the front door and this was proved wrong. On the other side of the door was Aqualad, unconcious and lying on the ground of the parking lot. Next to him was Monseuir Mallah, who had apparently recovered from his previous defeat and had a blaster gun aimed at Aqualad's unconcious body.

"Well, Teen Titans, we meet again." Mallah growled, glaring at them with his gigantic eyes. "This time for the last time. I plan to kill you all -- it will be my greatest pleasure."

"You're not going to kill anyone, ya big ape." Beast Boy bravely roared to his old enemy from the Doom Patrol days of old. He transformed into a gorilla, just as big as Mallah, and ran at him. However, Mallah jumped backwards, away from Aqualad. He was standing beside a car that had a cover over it -- however, as Mallah threw the cover off, Beast Boy realized it was not a car.

It was a large gatling gun, which Mallah climbed on and aimed at the group. He began firing bullets at them, faster than the Titans could see them all -- but Terra erected a wall of dirt and solid stone in front of them which blocked most bullets, and Raven used her demonic energies to enforce the wall from behind, keeping it together even as bullet after bullet smashed into it. Mallah could not see Raven's powers until he had shot the wall so much most of the stone and dirt was gone. When he realized his mistake, he roared in anger and got off his gigantic mounted machinegun.

"You will all die for what you have done on this day!" Mallah was growling like an angry dog, and he reached for his blaster again. Beast Boy jumped forward, still a gorilla and a green version of Mallah. Beast Boy grabbed Mallah's arms and held them behind his back as he ran behind Mallah. He looked at the group; and Starfire got an idea. She powered up her full force of her starbolts and blasted Mallah -- causing him to fall on his knees.

"We do not have time to fight this monkey." Starfire said to the others. "Bumblebee, please take your team back to Steel City. We have to go find Slade and save Robin."

It was evident to anyone who could see her large green eyes full of sadness and worry that she had done nothing but think about Robin since his capture.

Bumblebee turned to Cyborg.

"You take care Sparky." She said at once.

"Yeah, you too." He nodded; and then all at once she grabbed him around the shoulders and her tongue went into his mouth, causing Cyborg's robot eye to begin to flash rapidly. The Titans East members headed back towards Steel City, waving to their friends: it was a goodbye, but only for a little while.

Jinx approached the group. "Hot Spot, Kid Flash and I are going to check on the Doom Patrol, and the Justice League and all the others. So... bye then." She turned and climbed into Kid Flash's arms, and he was gone in a flash, carrying her. They were so far away so quickly, that none of the Titans heard her slap him for running his hand over her butt cheek once more. Hot Spot followed the group as well -- though not as fast.

That only left Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Terra, Robin II and Red X. The group looked at one another, and wordlessly they began the long journey to find the Pendant of Schiezka -- the only way they would have any chance at all to defeat Slade during the final battle. That meant they needed to dig up Brother Blood's body.

* * *

"What are you planning?"

Robin, maskless, was hanging from the wall in the main room of Titan's Tower. Slade, who was also unmasked, sat on the couch and sipped his tea. He looked at Robin and then he smiled. The sight of seeing such an evil man smiling was enough to freeze Robin's insides and make him feel as if he was stuck naked in a snowstorm.

"They won't find the Pendant in Time. You will die, and then they will as well." Slade informed Robin, with a wonderfully delightful evil smirk. Slade sipped his tea once again and ignored Robin for a moment.

"You won't get away with this, you know." Robin growled.

"Yes I will." Slade replied, full of arrogance and confidence which mixed into a new emotion that was somewhere inbetween both of them.

Robin struggled on the wall. His nose had dried blood under it, and the 'R' on his shirt was ripped off and lay on the table -- just a pile of ashes. Robin was still, aside from some blood and his trademark symbol destroyed, in fine shape. That did not matter to him, though, as he had a back-up plan. If only he could get free from this wall.

"Tell me, Richard, why do you think our paths have intertwined so much?" Slade asked, using Robin's birth name to address him this time. The boy wonder narrowed his eyes, and refused to answer the tyrant Slade. He did not want to give his enemy the satisfaction of the truth.

"I believe it is because we cannot exists without one another." Slade informed Robin. "You beat me. Terra beat me. I was beaten on Tamaran, and afterwards . . . and yet, here I am once again, and even stronger. It is because we are two halves of the same coin, Richard Grayson. You the light side, and I the darkness. You the sun, and I the shadow. Without Ying and Yang together, there is nothing."

"Spare me your philosophical garbage Slade." Robin spat, angry at having to be a prisoner in his own building and listen to this nonsense from the worst enemy he had ever had.

"No . . . not garbage. Just as Batman cannot be without the Joker. Just as Superman cannot be without Luthor. Just as day cannot be without night, or happiness without sadness -- ultimately we are the same eternal conflict. Robin and Slade. Neither of those names can survive past today. I plan for us both to go to the grave this time, Richard." Slade said, in a truly madman like way; and Robin realized he was serious.

"You would kill us both, just to end our rivalry? Have you gone mad, Slade?" Robin asked as he struggled uselessly against his bonds. Slade looked up at Robin, and from behind the eye-patch on his face, a light began to glow. The eye-patch burnt off in a flare of fire, and where there had once been an empty eye socket, now only a red light was shining furiously. His other eye too became a pure red light, and Slade hissed in a voice that shook the ground like thunder.

"**Foolish boy! You do not realize the POWER coursing through this body, do you? When Trigon and Slade were one and the same, Slade learned of the Ultimate Power. He sought it out, as a way of getting the revenge that was denied to him! Finally he found that power -- MY power -- in Paris. Now Slade had accepted me into his body in order to get the revenge he so desperately seeks against you. You who ruined all of his plans. You who made sure that Slade Wilson would never become what he should have been! He gladly gave his body, mind and soul to ME so that he would become part of the most ancient and powerful creature in existance!**"

Robin did not know how to respond, so he did not. However, he realized as soon as the voice spoke, that Slade was dead. The man standing in front of him may have Slade's body, and his hatred for the Teen Titans and their leader in particular -- but the creature inhabiting Slade's mind was not the same man. This was something far eviler, and far more terrifiying. Robin narrowed his eyes.

"What are you?" Robin asked.

"**What am I? Are all humans this rude? I am not a 'what', I am a 'who'.**" It appeared that whoever was inside Slade enjoyed toying with Robin. The boy wonder growled.

"Fine, _who_ are you?" Robin asked.

"**I am the Eternal Spirit of Conflict and War that has raged across this land since the dawn of Mankind. I am the hatred that is forged between your species as your lives move on. I am Jealousy. I am Hate. I am Misunderstanding. I am Destruction, and Death, and Decay. I am the being who was born from the fires of one thousand wars, and the entity who came forth from the flames of life that are extinguished every day that Mankind rules this world. I have no name, and I am beyond humanity. I rise up only when one whose hands have been soiled with blood for many years agrees to sell the last shred of his humanity for the chance to spill more blood!**" Slade was roaring these words; or at least the being inside Slade yelled them.

"So... you're some freaky demon who likes death. Jeez, and here I thought you were going to be tough to beat." The arrogant Robin smiled; Slade's fist met his mouth a minute later, and Robin felt a tooth knocked out of his head.

"**You insolent bastard of a human. You, and all your kind, shall be slaughtered in a sea of fire so that I may bathe in your blood and be reborn.**"

"Yeah, yeah, heard it all before." Robin was no longer impressed. "As soon as my friends get here, you're going to die, just like all the other 'super powerful' beings who have tried this kind of thing. Honestly, I don't see why you demons keep trying it." The Boy Wonder grinned once again. Slade narrowed his glowing red eyes.

"**IF your friends live long enough to arrive here, I shall happily tear Starfire's head from her shoulders and drown you in her blood.**" The being inside Slade seemed to know everything Slade knew -- so he knew exactly how and where to push Robin's buttons.

Robin's struggles against his bonds became more violent, and he used every last ounce of force he had to try to break himself free of the living room wall. It was unsuccessful, and all he managed to do was hurt his shoulder as he struggled. Still, would not allow this awful creature inside his arch-enemy's body to insult the woman he had pledged his eternal love to.

"Go to hell!" Robin shouted lamely.

"**My dear boy, when I am finished with your world, you will beg me to send you to hell, so you can escape the pain.**" Slade -- or at least the beast said. Slade turned around and looked out the window with his red eyes glowing wide.

"**This will all be over very soon. I promise you. This world will be consumed with fire and smoke, and your human race shall be reduced to ruble and ash!**"

The Maskless Dick Grayson looked out the window, wondering if his friends had any idea how they could defeat this horrible evil inside the mercenary madman who tried to kill him so many times.

* * *

The plan was simple.

They would dig up Brother Blood's body and take it to the Lazarus Pit -- the same ancient pit that was used by one of Batman's enemies to keep himself immortal. However, the pit as it's namesake suggests, could also revive the dead. This meant they could return Blood to life and then interrogate him for the Pendant of Scheizka, which according to Raven (who was the expert on this sort of thing) could cancel out Slade's newfound powers. It was their one and only chance to defeat Slade.

The only problem with this plan, aside from reviving a dangerous criminal like Brother Blood, was that in order to use the pit, they needed Blood's body, and unfortunately it was burried in a cavern by the beach. That actually was not so bad, but Blood had cursed his tomb as the ancient egyptian kings often did. Meaning if they invaded his tomb, who knows what types of strange evil creatures would be waiting for them.

Now the Titans were outside the old cavern by the beach, the HIVE symbol on the door. Robin II was looking at it, and then turned to the other heroes.

"Anyone know how to get inside?" Tim asked.

"Yeah." Cyborg grinned, being an expert on Brother Blood, and he aimed his gun-arm at the screen and fired a sonic shot into the rock wall -- blowing it open and effectivly making a doorway for them to walk through. Shrugging, the titans went inside since there was no point in being subtle when the enemy was dead.

As they entered the tomb of their fallen foe, Starfire held up her right hand and made a green glow around her fist so it would illuminate the tomb. It was higher-tech than the tombs of egypt, but it was still made in traditional style.

"So... whose carrying the body?" Beast Boy asked, really hoping the answer wouldn't be him.

Raven stopped walking, and everyone passed her by. However, when they realized she wasn't following them, they stopped and turned around back to her. Looking back they could not realize why she had stopped.

"...Rae? What are you looking at?" Beast Boy asked.

"The coffin." Raven replied. Robin II looked at what she was looking at -- which was a wall. He blinked and looked at the Titans, scratching his head. He was too poliet to say it -- but Red X wasn't.

"Is she crazy or just stupid?"

"Dude, she could so kill you just by looking at you." Beast Boy warned.

Raven ignored them both, touched the wall with her hand, and it disappeared. Behind the wall was a hidden coffin, causing everyone to gasp. They all soon joined by Raven's side, next to the coffin of the fallen supervillain.

"That was . . . easy." Robin II pointed out.

Suddenly the coffin popped open and the corpse of Brother Blood stood up and grabbed Raven by the throat, squeezing as tight as he could to cut off her oxygen supply. In less than a second Starfire blasted his arm with his starbolt, sending the entire crypt into darkness for a split second as she ignited her fist again. Brother Blood jumped from his coffin and landed on Starfire, knocking her to the ground with a slam. Starfire's head bounced on the stone floor.

A split second later, Blood was on his back, his own head bouncing. Beast Boy had tackled him off Starfire, in the form of a great green lion. Beast Boy roared at him, and pressed his claws on Blood's chest, digging his nails in.

"Where's the pendant?" Raven asked as she healed Starfire's bleeding head.

"Tell us or we shall break your hogarth!" Starfire shouted as she growled in pain. She didn't actually explain what a 'hogarth' was, but the odds were it would hurt if a super strong alien decided to break it.

"Pendant?" Blood raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Raven narrowed her eyes into thin slits. "The Pendant of Sheizka. Where is it?"

"Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho... why do you seek that? I haven't hurt anyone." Blood grinned -- since he was a corpse, his teeth were rotted and his breath was so horrible that it could choke a maggot.

"What do you mean?" Red X asked, suspiciously looking with his eye raised.

"That Pendant is all that keeps my corpse moving." Brother Blood informed the Titans, grinning from behind his corpse teeth, with his fleshy, undead tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth. Starfire felt sick seeing the undead monster who had already been beaten by the Titans on one occasions. Now that his living body was here, in front of them, in this dark and dengy crypt -- it was like a nightmare.

Brother Blood stood up out of the coffin, grinning at the Titans all around him. The Pendant was hardly visable underneath of his cloak, but the outline was there. It was a silver medallion with a big brown garnet jewel in the center. It was also what the Titans desperatly needed to finally end their big adventure -- their biggest adventure.

Brother Blood then began to laugh. It was a hallowed and empty sound, the sound of pure evil coursing out of his throat as noise vibrated off his deceased vocal cords. The Titans looked at the creature that had once been a man, and watched as he began to walk forward.

"What will you do?" Blood asked them. "How will you stop me? The only way to end my immortality is to destroy the very pendant you seek! The irony would KILL ME if I wasn't already dead."

Blood's grin was sadistic and twisted. It was that of a truly sick, truly horrible man. Blood's eyes narrowed and he grinned in that twisted way of his, and then he began to speak in a low, horrible voice. Chills went through their bodies, turning their skin cold and making their blood run frosty.

"You will never have this pendant... because I will smash it right now and send your hopes to hell with my soul!" Blood screamed, and he tore the pendant off his neck and held it above his head. Beast Boy jumped at him, in the form of a cheeta, but Blood blocked him with his dead arm. Beast Boy managed to break the corpse arm off, but Blood held the pendant in his opposite hand.

Then; Cyborg blasted him.

A pulse of sonic energy flashed into Blood's chest, causing his body to vibrate so violently that his rotten flesh crumbled into dust, and he fell and became nothing more than just a pile of ash and dust. Raven walked over and picked up the Pendant of Sheizka -- she then walked over to Starfire and placed the pendant around her neck. Starfire blinked twice, her large green eyes full of confusion.

"You should take that, Starfire." Raven told her. "It's your man whose life is on the line."

Starfire nodded silently to her friend, and she accepted the Pendant of Sheizka. She placed it around her neck, and she hoped and prayed that that pendant would be all it would take to defeat Slade. She knew better than that, but she was afraid. After all, this was the end of their adventure -- at least she hoped it was. With Trigon, the Brotherhood of Evil and Lex Luthor all defeated, Slade was the last hurdle. If they won now, it would end it all. She just feared that someone would die in the big fight.

* * *

'Slade', or the being who had once been Slade, was looking out of the window of the Titan's Tower. Robin was tied to the wall behind him, and 'Slade' turned around to look at him. Robin spit at 'Slade' and tried, yet again, to break free of his bonds. 'Slade' was unconcerned with Robin escaping, since he could not even if he tried.

"**You are wasting your time and your strength, young warrior. Save it for when you need it at a later time.**" 'Slade' informed Robin.

"I thought you were going to kill me." Robin replied, unafraid and in all honesty bored of being tied to a wall and held hostage. 'Slade' laughed.

"**No. I will not kill you, yet. I want to wait for your friends. They will bring me something very important.**" 'Slade' told Robin matter-of-factly. Now Robin was curious, and he raised a maskless eyebrow and looked at 'Slade'. What could this monster inside Slade's body be talking about? Robin had no idea, but he was determined to find out.

It seemed 'Slade' knew what Robin was thinking, and he continued speaking and answered any questions Robin had before the Titans' leader could ask them. "**They are bringing the Pendant of Sheiska, which is said to contain my only weakness. It is true; that pendant has the key to my defeat. If I can obtain that pendant, then I can remain in the world of humans for the rest of eternity. All I have to do is keep that Pendant safe and I will reign for all time.**"

Robin understood. He had dealt with Trigon enough times to figure out what 'Slade' meant. This Pendant seemed to be his only weakness -- and if 'Slade' had it, then they couldn't use it against him. The fact that 'Slade' had said he wanted to keep it safe meant all Robin had to do was free himself from his bindings by the time the others got here, then he could break the Pendant and maybe they could put an end to this once and for all.

"What makes you think they'd even listen to you? Do you honestly believe they'd let YOU be all-powerful? They'll destroy it the second they get it." Robin told 'Slade', unafraid of him and hoping to turn the tables a bit.

It did not work.

"**Ha ha ha ha ha . . . YOU are how I know they will not harm the Pendant. If they do, I will rip your spine from out of your back and watch your squirm in agony; and your precious bride Starfire knows it.**" 'Slade' informed Robin, being a bit graphic for Robin's taste.

"You won't get away with this; not any of it." Robin spoke the cliche line of all heroes.

"**I already have.**" 'Slade' replied; Robin had heard that reply before, but for the first time he was afraid it might be true.

**

* * *

**

The Titans arrived at the edge of Jump City, and they saw that nothing had changed. The sky was crisp and blue, the waters the exact same. Soft waves pelted the beach and the wind blew gently around the great city, but still, even with everything looking as peaceful as every, there was still something different about it.

"I don't like this." Terra said as she walked down the street next to the other Titans. "Something just seems off."

She was right. Out of nowhere a red streak of light rippled across the sky, and suddenly the people all around them vanished and the entire city because deserted. The houses, buildings, shops, malls . . . it was all empty and abandoned. The wind was blowing harder, and now it was much colder than it had been before. The sky was as black as night, perhaps covered by clouds or maybe it had just turned that way. The bay around the T shaped tower was the color of blood . . . infact, judging from the smell of death that had suddenly appeared; it was blood.

"Reminds me of dad's place." Raven's sarcasm was never dulled, even by this bleak surrounding.

"Do you think Robin is alright?" Starfire asked, her green eyes filled with tears.

"Oh he's _fine_." A voice called out from the east. Starfire growled the moment the sound of it reached her ears and she spun to the direction of the voice, her hands blazing with green lights and a fury in her eyes.

"Relax little sister," Blackfire said as she floated down towards the ground. "I don't want to fight you. I came to help."

Starfire obviously did not buy that assumption; nor did anyone else, since they were all in battle stances . . . aside from Red X, who looked as if he could care less. He wasn't a good guy anyway.

"Look, after that whole thing on Tamaran, I was rescued by a real nice guy. I mean it, he and his buddy are superheroes in some city far away called 'Teh'. A total bonehead loser who's all about saving the day . . . a lot like you guys, actually . . . but he was kinda cute; and long story short, I'm out of the evil business for now. So I came to make amendes and help you." Blackfire explained a strange story that only a bare few would understand. Raven raised an eyebrow.

"Let her help." Raven said. Starfire spun around to her friend as if she had lost her mind.

"Raven! She is lying to us in order to trick us!" Starfire replied.

"Doesn't matter; we need the help. Besides, not even Blackfire is dumb enough to want this to happen. If 'He' is unleashed . . . it won't just be earth that goes to hell." Raven answered, and at this point everyone in the group turned to her. She sighed.

"Alright, I didn't want to tell you this, but I know exactly what we're up against. That Pendant Slade wanted is the one thing said to be a weakness to the most powerful demon ever spawned in the universe." Raven enlightened them; with some very disturbing news.

"How do you know? I mean, I'm sure you're the demon expert what being half and all, but how do you know about this thing?" Terra asked, placing a gloved hand on her hip.

". . . the demon's name is Thanatodin. "Thanatos" and "Odin" are both from old myths; both of them are supreme masters of death. Well, Thanatodin is the real thing. He was sealed away centuries ago because his evil is too powerful to desribe. The only reminant of him left in our world was his great-grandson . . . Trigon the Terrible." Raven finished the sentence as if there was a bad taste in her mouth. Beast Boy's mouth dropped.

"So... not only is your father a scary evil demon, but his great-grandfather is the scariest, evilest demon of all time?" Beast Boy asked to make sure he understood this right.

"Pretty much." Raven replied.

"Dude, your family tree bites." Beast Boy sighed and leaned against his raven-haired lover of the same name. She sighed and nodded in confirmation.

"Look; Thanatodin's power is sealed inside this Pendant -- that's why he's inside Slade. Slade's the perfect vessel since he's also had Trigon's soul inside him before. Still . . . if we can stop him before he can regain his real body, then it should put an end to all of this." Raven told the group.

"'Before he can regain his real body', eh?" Cyborg said, picking up on Raven's subtle hint. "And what happens if he gets it back?"

Raven did not answer right away. Instead she looked down at the ground; which was not a comforting sign. Then back up at Cyborg. "If he gets his body and powers back . . . we all die."

"Yeah, but we can beat him even if he does, right? Like we always do the impossible!" Terra said cheerfully.

"No . . . if he has his true power back he can cause our flesh to melt, our bones to catch on fire, and our souls to explode all at once just by thinking about it." Raven informed her; whiping the cheer out of Terra's face and causing her to sweatdrop.

"Oh," Terra said simply, then she looked down at her shoes awkwardly. "So . . . we can't lose. Okay! That's simple enough!"

"Not really," Raven said, bearing more bad news. "Thanatodin is inside Slade. That means we have to fight a Slade stronger than any we've ever fought before, and we have to kill him on the first try."

". . . Rae, I love you, but stop talking now." Beast Boy sighed.

"Seriously." Blackfire seconded. Raven shrugged. Then she looked up at the T shaped Tower where Robin and Thanatodin waited for their arrival.

"So let me try to understand . . . if he gets that pendant we have, he'll become unbeatable?" Terra asked, pushing a strand of blonde hair back behind her ear. Beast Boy gulped and Cyborg looked uneasy.

"That's the idea." Raven said, looking at the tower with a scared look in her eyes.

Suddenly the sky blazed with red light and a ring of flames erupted from the Titan's Tower. Out of that ring of flame that floated in the sky, several small, black horned horrible monsters crashed onto the ground. They had six razor sharp nails on each hand -- one of each of their five fingers and a sixth growing out of their knuckle. They growled and roared and slime dripped out of their mouths, which had three rows of teeth on the top and bottom; and two large bug-like pincers on the sides.

". . . Ewww." Terra shuddered.

"Those are . . . not even I'm sure what those are, let's just destroy them." Raven told them, and her eyes flashed with light and she blasted one of the creatures; it was torn in half, but the two broken halves became two new creatures. Raven sweatdropped.

"You guys go ahead," Red X said, looking at the monsters. "The other Robin, Blackfire and I can handle these things. You guys are the real Titans, so do your thing."

"Yeah, besides, I don't like the idea of fighting the strongest demon ever to exists." Blackfire said honestly.

So while the three stayed behind to battle the beasts, the five Titans headed towards their tower, and the final battle. Red X shot his X-blades at the beasts, Blackfire threw blackbolts at the monsters, and Robin threw a bat-a-rang at them. They were slashed up and blown up -- but they countined to regrow and multiply.

"This could get ugly," Red X sighed. "Maybe I should have stayed home."

"Amen." Blackfire added, throwing a blackbolt at one of the beasts and knocking it's head off.

**----**

Thanatodin looked at Robin with a sinister stare in his eyes. Slade's missing eye had been rebuilt with a eye made of pure flame, and now Robin was eye to eye with the horrible beast. Thanatodin looked out of the window and watched as Starfire, Terra, Beast Boy, Cyborg and Raven moved towards the house.

"They bring the Pendant to me. So long as that Pendant remains safe, once I have it I will be invincible." Thanatodin grinned from inside Slade's body. Robin did not listen to this crazy monster. He was busy, using a hidden knife inside his glove to cut away at the chains that held him in place. He had been doing it every chance he had. The problem was, it was just a small knife -- a knife he had installed in his glove so he could escape from ropes when he did not have his belt (such as this instance). Yet these were chains, and it would take him a long time to cut through them. He did not have a long time.

Thanatodin then walked away from Robin and the window, he stepped down the steps and walked by the big couch. He was standing in front of the door, waiting for the other Titans to arrive. As soon as they did, he planned to strike them down without hesitation or mercy. They would die once -- then he would use the pendant to restore himself. After that he planned to revive them and kill them again, and again, and again until he grew tired of it. Each time becoming more vicious and ruthless.

The elevator dinged to life -- and Thanatodin blasted the door before it even opened with a flare so hot it melted right through and turned the entire elevator and part of the elevator shaft into molten metal.

"Hmm?" Thanatodin sensed no death. That didn't make sense . . . then a blast -- Raven's energy hit him in the chest and knocked him backwards right into the couch with such force the couch tipped over and wound up on top of Slade's body, his legs sticking out beneath it.

Raven and the others appeared at the elevator entrance; she had used her powers to protect them with Cyborg generated a cloaking field to keep them hidden from Thanatodin's eyes.

"Robin!" Starfire flew across the room towards him, Pendant of Schiezka around her neck; he held up his chained hands and she knew what to do. With two green starbolts she destroyed the chains around his wrists and ankles and Robin was freed.

"Starfire, throw me that Pendant!" Robin yelled; he knew what he had to do. If he destroyed that Pendant, Thanatodin was beaten. Starfire obeyed and threw it to Robin. The Titan Leader threw it onto the ground, grabbed his utility belt from the desk nearby and whipped out a bird-a-rang. He stabbed the pendant and broke it, and Raven screamed.

"No! Wait!"

There was a flash of light and the ground began to rumble . . .

**

* * *

**

As the Titans broke in, Red X, Blackfire and Robin II were busy with the demons outside. Blackfire smashed one with a punch that glowed with a blackbolt, but despite the demon's face exploding, it regrew in a few seconds and the beast slashed at her stomach, ripping her shirt and armor and leaving three long red slashes in her skin.

"Ouch! Drek ku kuvvor!" She screamed in Tamaranian, what the actual translation is was something very rude. Red X threw a razor-sharp X-shaped blade at one of the beasts and severed it's legs. The legs grew a new body and the body grew new legs, and Red X cursed in good old fashioned English. Robin II threw a bomb at one of the monsters; the monster caught it in it's teeth and was blown into several small pieces. Robin II looked triumphic at first . . . then each tiny piece grew a new body, and Tim Drake sweatdropped.

"This isn't good. I don't think we can beat these things." Robin II stated the obvious.

"Gee, you really think so?" Red X was sarcastic, but his line was lame. Perhaps it was the three demons trying to tear his legs off that had him preoccupied and unable to come up with a original comeback.

Then; a flash of light exploded from the tower and the ground began to shake. The demons all screeched and turned into dust, and the skies cleared up back into blue with the proper white clouds. The water of the bay became water, instead of blood, and the three outside looked on as if victory was finally accomplished.

"That was a lot easier than I expected..." Robin II admitted.

Then the rumbling in the ground became worse; and a crack formed deep in the depths of the bay. It could not be seen from the land, but a light flashed from out of it and that was seen by all three of them. Blackfire swore in Tamaranian and Red X took a defensive stance. Suddenly, out of the water, a horrific beast appeared.

All three of them gasped.

**

* * *

**

"Damn it!" Raven punched the wall; anger like they had never seen was coursing through her. Robin did not know why -- the sky had just turned blue again and the blood had turned back into water. It appeared that it was over; Slade was defeated and so was the demon inside of him. "Robin, you IDIOT! That Pendant had his powers sealed in it! By breaking it you just made him _invincible_!"

Robin realized, with horror, that Thanatodin had lied to him. Tricked him on purpose.

Then something came up from the bay, and the Titans inside the tower gasped.

It had large legs and from the waist down it was covered in bushy black fur. The legs, all the way down to the ankles, were as furry as a dog. The feet were smooth and had purplish skin, with gigantic nails on the toe that were razor sharp and dangerous. It's chest was also bare and purplish leather, however the arms were furry again. It's claws were long and red. On it's elbows and shoulders were long blade-like spikes that extended out several yards away from it's body -- crimson in color. It had two mouths full of sharp red teeth and large yellow tongues. One mouth was where a mouth should be; the other was on it's forehead. Inbetween it had snake-like slits for a nose and six eyes; three on either side of the nose slits. The beast had long black hair falling down it's head, and a crown of horns on it's head -- six in total. Bat wings, red and black in color and leather-like in texture grew from it's back, and fur covered them as well on the back.

" . . . That has got to be the second ugliest thing I've ever seen." Beast Boy muttered. No one had time to ask what the first was, because Thanatodin turned to the tower and flapped it's massive wings three times. In just threw flaps it created enough wind to uproot and overturn trees, and to create a large wave in the bay that splashed against the tower and shattered the windows on the lower floors.

"Titans, G--"

"Forget it." Raven sunk down to her knees. "_Invincible_, remember? We can't beat it."

"You've said that before," Robin said, looking back at her. "When we first formed the Titans, and you and I spoke on the roof. You told me you had run from an invincible enemy. Well we beat Trigon -- on more than on occasion, and we'll beat this too."

"You can't compare Trigon to Thanatodin! That's like saying 'if we can beat a shrimp we can beat a shark'!" Raven replied, but Beast Boy put a hand on her shoulder.

"I said on Tamaran that I wouldn't let Trigon hurt you; well I won't let _anyone_ hurt you. Or any of our friends. Trust Robin, he's right, we can win." Beast Boy said reassuringly, looking at her with a warm smile.

"I'm all for fluffy romance," Terra said, looking at the lovebirds. "But shouldn't it wait till we beat the two-hundred-foot-tall monster?"

Thanatodin wasn't waiting, apparently. He swiped with one of his long arms and ripped the Titan's Tower in half. The upper part of the 'T', where all the Titans were, fell into the bay. The group screamed as they splashed down into the water and the windows exploded. Beast Boy became a dolphin and stuck his head in Raven's stomach, pushing her towards the surface. Cyborg activated a propeller in either of his feet and headed towards the surface. Starfire grabbed Robin in one arm and Terra in the others and flew up.

On the shore, Red X, Blackfire and Robin II stared up at the monster. Thanatodin was stronger than they had believed.

Thanatodin's upper and lower mouths opened and from the top a green liquid was spit out. It struck the remains of the tower and melted it as quickly as a hot oven can turn a stick of butter into a liquid. The Island the tower was on as well caught on fire and began to sink into the depths.

"**FOOLISH HUMANS! I AM NO LONGER BOUND BY YOUR MORTAL COILS! YOUR ENTIRE WORLD WILL FALL TO ME AND YOUR SPECIES SHALL BECOME MY PERSONAL SLAVES... UNTIL I GET HUNGRY!**"

Once on the shore, the Titans decided to hit it with all they had.

"Titans, Go!" Robin yelled.

Starfire and Blackfire flew up and threw their respective namesake bolts at it's head; aiming specifically for the six eyes. Cyborg shot a sonic cannon from each arm at it's lower mouth. Beast Boy turned into a T-Rex and sunk his teeth into it's right leg, trying to rip the flesh beneath the fur. Robin hurled several explosive bird-a-rangs at it's opposite leg, hoping to trip it up. Terra caused a earthquake under the water beneath the beast; hoping that that would help Robin and Beast Boy's assault on it's legs. Robin II helped the original Robin by throwing his own explosive bird-a-rangs, and Red X launched x-shaped bombs too. Raven concentrated all of her energies into one ball of light in her hands and hurled it at her great-grandfather's upper mouth.

Thanatodin began to make a strange noise and his body began to shake.

"It's working!" Robin yelled. "Keep going!"

"**WORKING? THIS IS THE SOUND OF MY _LAUGHTER_ YOU STUPID MORTAL! YOUR ATTACKS ARE TICKLING ME, AND IF YOU ARE FINISHED AMUSING ME I WILL CRUSH YOU NOW!**" Thanatodin roared so loudly the sound wave from his voice shattered the glass of buildings in the city.

Thanatodin roared and stomped his right foot. The shockwave it sent off was so powerful it knocked the Titans down; except for Starfire, Blackfire and Raven who had all been flying. To take them out, Thanatodin flapped his wings and made the wind to sever for them to fly in. The three girls all hit the ground and landed in a pile. Raven looked up at the monster and shook her head.

"I told you he was invincible." She sighed.

"Rae, we'll beat him, and if you doubt that you doubt me." Beast Boy told her as he climbed up to his feet and ran to her side.

"I don't doubt you, or any of us . . . but I know there's only one way to beat him." Raven's voice dropped to a whisper, she was so quiet that in the havoc of the moment she could hardly be heard.

"How?" Robin II, Tim Drake, asked.

"The last time he was sealed away . . . it was because someone sacrificed themself. One of us would have to give up our life." Raven said, looking at the group.

"That really isn't so bad." Terra, who had knowledge of sacrificing oneself, replied.

"No . . . because to sacrifice yourself to beat him, you won't die. Infact, you'll live forever . . . alone." Raven sighed. "One of us has to contain him within our body, and then be sealed in a alternate dimension for all time so he can never return. As long as he's inside you, you won't grow old or die . . . but it means being locked away in another world till the end of existance." Raven informed them of the grim details.

" . . . Wow. That sucks." Blackfire said bluntly. Just as Starfire was going to say something to her sister, she realized Robin was not around. She looked all around the group, and then she began to panic.

"Robin? Where did he go?" Starfire was worried. Her husband was missing. Robin had vanished . . . for a moment she got a horrible thought. What if Thanatodin had blasted him? What if Robin was . . .

"No one is sacrificing themself this time." Robin's voice suddenly spoke, and all the Titans turned to see him. Robin was no longer Robin. None of them recognized the new, blue and black outfit he wore -- none except Starfire. She gasped; he looked the same as he had when she traveled through time, but he was shorter and so was his hair.

"I was saving this for a rainy day, but I guess if the world's ending I may as well go ahead and break it out now." Nightwing said, grinning.

However, before Nightwing had a chance to show off his new toys, Thanatodin roared and from his bottom mouth a ball of fire was spit up. It flew at the group and Raven had to use her mental powers to erect a shield around them. Even at her full strength, the blast of flame was only contained by a slight bit. Raven struck back by throwing a ball of energy, which turned into a raven-shaped spear. The wings and beak were razor sharp and it had enough energy in it to act like a small atomic bomb. The spear of light struck Thanatodin in the face and sliced it's skin and exploded. The blast covered Thanatodin's head in a mushroom cloud of black and silver light.

When the light cleared, Thanatodin was fine. His sliced face had healed and both of his mouths were grinning broadly.

"**YOUR POWER IS NOTHING COMPARED TO MINE. OBSERVE!**" Thantodin clapped his hands together and then created his own energy blast. He threw it at the beach where the Titans sat, and the entire beach was destroyed; leaving only a deep hole in the ground. Water filled it from the bay, and it seemed Thanatodin had killed the Titans.

However, in reality Raven had teleported them to the opposite shore. Thanatodin apparently knew it, because in a flash he spun around and fired lasers from out of his six eyes at the group. Each laser hit the ground and created a small hole that went several miles deep.

"Are you sure there is no other way?" Nightwing asked Raven.

"We can try something else, but how long do you think we'll last against that?" Raven replied.

"I'll do it." Beast Boy said, looking at his dark-haired lover. Raven glared at him with dark eyes as if he was insane.

"Don't you even think about it." Raven hissed.

"I'd do_ anything, anytime, anywhere, for you_." Beast Boy said quietly, looking at Raven with loving eyes. Despite the signifigance of his statement, Raven rejected the offer.

"I won't let you throw your existance away!" Raven snapped.

"If someone doesn't, we're all dead. I don't mind. Really, I'll--"

"**No**." Raven said, and her word was final. Her eyes seemed to fill with the emotions she usual supressed inside of her, and Beast Boy saw something in her eye that was as rare as Doctor Light coming up with a good plan. It was a tear. "You can't say you love me and then abandon me like everyone else. I lost my mother, I won't lose you. I couldn't survive it."

In the middle of a touching moment between two young lovers, a weak human voice spoke, and the group looked out at the sandy shores, where a tattered and broken man lay, hardly clinging to life. "I'll do it." Slade said.

"You're still alive? Damn, man, what does it take?" Cyborg growled.

"Raven is wrong . . . there is another way to beat him . . . a way to beat him for good . . ." Slade mumbled, so weak he couldn't speak long sentences without pausing for a gasp of air. "When inside someone's body, he is mortal. If you bind him back to my body and then kill me . . . he'd die, and so would I. Two birds with one stone, Robin."

"That might actually work." Raven confirmed.

"Sounds good to me." Robin replied.

A blast of energy behind them ended the conversation. Thanatodin was coming at them, shooting eye lasers, spitting acid and breathing fire all at once. Raven quickly shouted to the group.

"We have to find a way to damage his body enough that he'll go inside Slade!" She yelled. "If we can do signifigant damage to him, he'll enter Slade's body to steal Slade's health and recharge. We only have one shot; when he's inside Slade, we kill them both!"

"How do we damage him that much?" Terra shouted, freaked out. "We hit him with everything we have and he hasn't even taken a scratch!"

The group continued to dodge the blasts and flames from Thanatodin as he roared and shot his attacks. Suddenly, Beast Boy remembered something. Once, while living with Mento, he had almost got into the swimming pool during an thunder storm. Mento had informed him that doing that could electrocute him -- and then Beast Boy realized Thanatodin was standing in the middle of a deep bay.

"Dudes! I have a plan!" Beast Boy yelled to his friends as he narrowly avoided a spout of acid that melted a rock beside him.

"... Well, we are desperate!" Cyborg replied, trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work.

"No! Seriously! If we can electrify the bay it might hurt him!" Beast Boy grinned, jumping around like the others were. Nightwing looked at the gigantic bay, and then at the gigantic Thanatodin.

"We'd need some serious voltage to do that!" Nightwing replied as he avoided a fireball.

"My recharger!" Cyborg yelled. "We drop a wire from that into the bay and BOOM! One big ugly bucket of fried demon!"

"Your recharger was in the tower; it melted." Raven reminded her metal friend.

"I have a back-up one, in the woods over there!" Cyborg pointed at the woods about half a mile away. "We push that bad boy in the water . . ."

"Move out!" Nightwing shouted to the others. The group ran down -- Terra lagged behind because she caused a boulder to fly at Thanatodin. However, the demon lord blasted it with his flame breath and melted the rock in mid-air. Terra followed the group in defeat since she had no easy way to beat the monster.

As they ran down towards through the woods, Starfire (who was flying, not running) spotted a metallic shed in the distance. She called over her shoulder to her sister. "We have to push it in the water!"

"Duh!" Blackfire replied.

As the two Tamaranians flew as fast as they could towards the steel shed; as they neared it they realized this may be their only chance to defeat Thanatodin. If they did not succeed, it would mean death for all of them and all of Earth. As they neared the steel shed, Thanatodin spit more of the acid from his top mouth and turned the shed into a pile of molten liquid right in front of them.

The Titans stopped. Never before had an enemy thwarted them so many times.

"**DON'T YOU SEE? YOU'RE PITIFUL ATTEMPTS TO STOP ME ARE USELESS! SO MUCH SO THAT I WILL END THIS PATHETIC PLAN AT THIS MOMENT!**" Thanatodin turned his head and launched another shot of acid -- this time at the injured Slade. Slade had no chance to move, for he could not move at all, and his flesh and bones were burnt away along with a sizeable portion of the earth beneath him.

"Damn," Nightwing cursed. "Now what?"

"**NOW NOTHING! THE ONLY POWER IN THIS WORLD THAT CAN STOP ME _IS_ ME! NOW I WILL DEMONSTRATE MY TRUE POWER!**" Thanatodin raised both of his hands and a ball of light began to form above his head. It was gigantic within seconds. A blast so strong that it could destroy all of North America; and it was growing by the second.

Then, a smile crossed Raven's face. A devious idea had struck her. "He said it himself... the only thing that can stop him _is him_. That energy ball above him . . . that's his power, isn't it?"

"You mean . . . Rae, you're not just pretty you're a genius! We make him drop that on his head and he's dead!" Beast Boy grinned. "Let's finish this guy for good!"

"How?" Starfire asked. "He has no weakness that I can see."

"He's a _he_ right? They all have one weakness." Terra had a sly smirk on her lips and she slammed her hands into the ground. Yellow light flashed beneath Thanatodin and a spike of solid stone shot up from beneath Thanatodin and impaled him. As Terra had said 'he is a he'.

Thanatodin stumbled a bit and his arms shook like jelly. Thanatodin looked as if he was in intensive pain -- but that did not phaze him enough. He did not drop the ball, despite the stumble. He held strong and the ball continued to get bigger and glow brighter.

"I really thought that would work . . ." Terra mumbled.

"It did; watch!" Raven transformed herself into a gigantic bird made of black energy -- she launched at the monsterous Thanatodin and light blazed all around her. She struck the beast right in the throat and through both of his mouths he roared. His knees buckled and he fell onto them; however he still held the ball. His arms shook as if the bones had been replaced with jello, but Thanatodin was determined to destroy the earth and everyone on it. Raven returned to the ground, fell into Beast Boy's arms and looked like she was beaten with a metal pipe.

"He's . . . strong." She mumbled and closed her eyes.

"Look at his arms! We need to hit his elbow joints! It's our best -- and _last_ chance!" Nightwing told the others. Red X, Nightwing and Robin II all threw their strongest bombs. Starfire and Blackfire hurled their bolts, Cyborg fired with his cannons and Terra and Beast Boy (who was now a gorilla) threw rocks at him.

The hits all struck against Thanatodin's left elbow; he roared and his left arm gave way. With a mighty scream, the gigantic energy ball fell onto his left palm and burnt it into nothing. The ball began to fall down his arm destroying it as soon as it touched it. It burnt his chest and throat until Thanatodin was able to squeeze the ball with his right arm and throw it high up into the air. Thanatodin grabbed his stump of an arm and growled at his charred and burnt skin. He was alive, but he was injured.

"Now what?" Beast Boy asked as he turned human again.

"No clue, Raven's the expert on these things." Nightwing replied.

"Raven's unconcious." Red X pointed out.

"Hit him where he's hurt!" Blackfire shouted. "Try to hit the wounds and maybe we can rupture his body or an organ or something!"

Starfire and Blackfire flew towards the demon, throwing their blasts at the burns. They smashed into his skin and destroyed part of the burns, ripping through and drawing blood. Cyborg shot at him as well, and the others hurled their own weaponry. Still, to no avail. Though his pain was great and he was becoming weaker, Thanatodin was not weak enough to die.

"**THIS DOES NOT MATTER! SOON MY BOMB SHALL FALL BACK THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE AND DESTROY THIS ENTIRE COUNTRY!**" Thanatodin roared. It was not true. It would destroy a lot more than the country -- all of North and Central America would be anihilated -- along with parts of Asia and South America as well. The blast would melt the polar ice caps and flood the rest of the world. It was doomsday.

"Garfield," Raven's weak voice called her lover by his name. Beast Boy was instantly at her side. "There is a way . . . get him in the air."

Beast Boy did not understand, but Terra had overheard and she did. She smirked and created several spikes of stone which shot out of the ground and stabbed Thanatodin in the burnt places on his chest. Thanatodin was in such pain that he used his wings to fly into the air and avoid the stones. Exactly as Terra had planned.

The bomb of energy fell down and hit Thanatodin in the back. Both of it's mouth screamed unholy, unnatural screams as the bomb was absorbed into his body and the ultimate evil was turned into nothing but dust in the wind. The Titans, injured and tired, watched as he was destroyed.

Raven smiled and shut her eyes, snuggling into Beast Boy chest. Yes, Raven was snuggling.

The perfect end to a weird day.

**

* * *

****Six Months Later **

* * *

"I, Doctor Light, shall rule this world now!"

On the top of the tallest building in Jump City, the lame Doctor Light stood with a gigantic power generator. He looked like he was ready to unleash some semi-dangerous attack on Jump City, but before just as he was about to, a voice spoke.

"Can you please lock yourself in jail?" Raven asked, though this time she wasn't being sarcastic. "We had plans tonight."

Doctor Light saw Raven, his face became pale, and he nodded. "Yeah . . . okay; I'm going to go to jail now."

A few minutes later, Raven returned to the resturant. As soon as she did, Beast Boy ran over to her and kissed her cheek. She pushed him away but smiled. Starfire and Nightwing were at a booth in the corner, both drinking from straws inside the same milkshake. Cyborg was absent, since he was in Steele City with Bumblebee. Terra was missing . . . she had recently found a boyfriend in another town and hadn't been back in about a week.

The Raven looked out the window at the city. It was rebuilding nicely. These days, the Teen Titans had very little to do in Jump City. The worst villains around were Mad Mod and the HIVE Four. Jinx had renounced her ways and was now active with Kid Flash . . . she actually joined the Justice League and was living with them as a superhero. Slade hadn't been seen since he was turned into a boiling pile of goo; though Nightwing kept watch every now and then just to make sure.

For the most part, the Teen Titans acted like regular teenagers. Beast Boy and Raven were like a . . . quasi-normal couple, and lately Beast Boy had been like a shadow to the goth girl. She knew she never should have done what she had done at the Christmas party they had thrown in December; now he was following her even more than normal like a dog who knew there was a chance of getting a treat.

Nigtwing and Starfire were not as active with crime fighting. Starfire smiled and looked into Richard Grayson's eyes. She loved him, and she was happy that he loved her too. She ran a hand over her enlarged stomache. A week after they defeated Thanatodin, Starfire had gotten a surprise -- as it turned out, their time-traveling daughter from the future was due to be born in about three months.

In the end, life became better than it had ever been before. Occasionally they would help the Justice League fight some true supervillain; and sometimes they helped Batman with the Joker, but for the most part it seemed like life was simple and easy, without fear of fighting a psycopathic killer ever other day.

Happiness was abound, and all of the Titans had found love and peace. Their enemies were gone and their issues resolved.

A year later Beast Boy and Raven would tie the knot -- and then another incident like the Christmas Party one and their own child was on the way.

Slade never did come back again; nor did Brother Blood, Trigon or any of the other super powerful evil-doers they had met.

They all lived long, happy lives. Their love made them strong, and their adventure was over. The greatest tale of the Teen Titans -- their final adventure, had come to a close.

Everything worked out in:

**THE END**.

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

**Closing Notes**: Over 10,000 words longest ever.  
That's it. That's all. It's over. I know... I KNOW! I'm sad too, but **one year and two months** is long enough for any fanfiction to go on. I love everyone who read and I love everyone who replied even more.

I will finish my other Titans stories and start new ones. First I want to leave my mark on Fullmetal Alchemist, Sonic, Naruto, 24 and a variety of other things. Don't worry... this isn't the end. I hope you'll read my other stuff; love you folks.

Now go home! And don't forget to email me. Email in the beginning author notes and my profile.

AND FOR THE LOVE OF CHEESE, Join the Sonic Rapid Board! Talk with me ANY day ANY time!


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